Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway
by Thesebooksarecrap
Summary: Strange things are happening to Harry. An attack, an escape, a confession...and all before he goes to Hogwarts, where he meets a nutty professor and learns to play 'Chairs.' And Dumbledore is worried about something...Follows OotP. R&R please!
1. Godric's Hollow

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 1: Godric's Hollow  
  
The silvery numbers on the ceiling told James Potter that it was 11:30 at night when he was awakened by a loud squeal from outside his two-story cottage. He got out of bed without awakening his wife, slipped on some shoes and an illuminating flash of blue light from outside the window accompanied another series of loud squeals. His wife, Lily, stirred in bed. He pulled back the curtain from the window that overlooked the front drive in time to see a second blue flash aimed into the ivy on the side of the drive; and, worse, the cloaked and masked figure holding the wand that conjured the spell. Something rattled the ivory as it ran from the drive.  
  
"Lily!" James shook his sleeping wife, "He's here!"  
  
Lily jumped out of bed and threw on her robe. "In Godric's Hollow…but James, how-"  
  
"It doesn't matter how- stay with Harry, I'll head him off."  
  
"But James-"   
  
"Lily- I love you," James said with a short kiss, and then he pulled himself away and crept downstairs.  
  
James saw another blue flash, accompanied by more squeals as he crept downstairs into the closet next to the front door. He heard a unnatural, high-pitched voice from the drive.  
  
"You have nearly cost me the element of surprise, Wormtail. For that, you will not go unpunished," the cold voice said angrily.   
  
James absorbed what he heard, and he now, too late, had a very good idea of how Voldemort had come to Godric's Hollow. But there was no time to ponder the foolishness of his decisions.   
  
"Alohamora," the Dark Lord commanded.   
  
The lock turned and James clutched his wand, sweating nervously. He heard two steps and felt the dark presence on the other side of his closet door. Stay still, he thought. Wait until he's at the stairwell. James heard more steps, but they were not headed toward the stairwell…Voldemort was going into the study. James heard the door open, and the footsteps gradually faded into the study. He pointed his wand at his shoes-- "Silencio!" he whispered inaudibly. He crept until he was behind the study door, and could see through the crack. Lord Voldemort was searching for something. James knew that now was the time to strike. He let his thoughts lay for a moment on Lily, then Harry, then Sirius and Remus before he jumped to the other side of the door.  
  
"Locomotor Mortis!"   
  
But Lord Voldemort was too fast. "Stupefy!" He cried. The two spells hit each other and rebounded, breaking a window and knocking over a desk.   
  
"Avada-" But Lord Voldemort was stopped short by a book that was flung into his face, full force.   
  
James was enchanting all the books in the study to hover around and shoot themselves at the Dark Lord.   
  
"Charms always were your strong point Potter. Foolish branch--"  
  
"Stupefy!"   
  
Lord Voldemort disapparated and apparated again feet from James. "--if you ask me. I always focused my learning on hexes and curses."   
  
"Expelliarmus!"   
  
"Crucio!"   
  
The two spells collided with each and disappeared with a small ball of green fire.  
  
Lord Voldemort shot a red flame at an approaching book, and it burst in a fire on the plywood floor. His cold voice rang out, "Petrificus Totalus!" James's arms and legs snapped together against his body and he fell to the floor with a thud. Sobbing could be heard from upstairs.   
  
"Well, Potter, we meet again."  
  
James eyes followed Voldemort as he spoke.  
  
"I see that you haven't discontinued your studies after you left the ministry. Of course, this could have all been avoided if your futile nobility hadn't stopped you from surrendering your research to me." Voldemort's red eyes flickered towards another door in the study. "But it will be mine, soon. After I dispose of you, I'll likely torture and kill your wife and son…and then I'll take what I came for and utilize its power before the sun rises…So, good-bye, James Potter. Avada Kedavra!"   
  
A green flash of light hit James Potter's immobile body. His eyes closed and relaxed. He was dead.   
  
Albus Dumbledore was at the Potter's house by 12:30, after midnight. He apparated at the front of the drive to find the house aflame "But no mark…" he said to himself. "Hydrendio!" and as he spoke, water erupted from his wand that put out the flame. He ran into the house, tears streaming down his cheeks. His eyes had fallen upon the corpse of James potter, which was partially obstructed from sight by charred timbers that had fallen from the ceiling. A book was still burning in the corner. "Hydrendio." He opened a door in the study and what he saw must have both pleased him and befuddled him. "Curious, indeed. But how…" And then he heard a baby crying from upstairs.  
  
Albus Dumbledore muttered something to himself, and with a flick of his wand, set the fire place alight, before hurrying upstairs with a loud crack. "  
  
He first saw the corpse of Lily Potter lying at the foot of her bed, in front of a baby's cot. He then saw that the crying was, indeed, coming from the baby's cot. "Calm, down, Harry," Dumbledore whispered gently. And with another flick of his wand, the baby was asleep and calm. He took another look around the room. He seemed to be searching for someone that he knew wasn't there. "Tom?" No answer. It was then that a Dumbledore saw a wand at Harry's feet. "It couldn't be…But yes…it seems…" and he continued mumbling to himself as he gathered Harry and went down stairs to the fireplace. "The Hut of Mr. Rebeus Hagrid." He bellowed into the flames, sticking his head into them. "Hagrid! Hagrid!" He yelled urgently, and as he did, a very large man awoke with a start, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Er…Professor Dumbledore, sir? Wha's the matter?"  
  
"Hagrid. There has been an attack. Lily and James have been killed. You must come to Godric's Hollow at once and collect their baby, Harry from the remains of their house."  
  
"Oh, dear. I'll do jus that, Professor. You can coun' on me."   
  
And Albus Dumbledore waited with Harry until Hagrid arrived, weeping. "Is it true, Professor?"  
  
"Yes, Hagrid, I'm afraid so. Now, Hagrid, you must take this baby somewhere safe for the day, away from all wizards. Meet me at the residence of Mr. Vernon Dursley, #4 Privet Drive, at midnight tonight. Go now."  
  
"All righ', Pr-Professor. It's a--a darn shame tha'…."  
  
"Yes, Hagrid, it is. Please, take Harry."   
  
And Rebeus Hagrid walked out the door. Dumbledore watched him go down the drive before heading to the door in the study, opening it, and surveying the stone archway within it. Its veil had been tattered and its pillars had been crumbled. "Portus," he said, touching it. And with a swirling flash of light he was gone.  
  
And nearly fifteen years later, Albus Dumbledore pulled a silvery thread out of his hair and put it back into his pensieve. 


	2. The Tragedy of Petunia Dursley

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter Two: Aunt Petunia's Secret  
  
Harry Potter awoke two weeks after he left Hogwarts, and he had come to Privet Drive without fully recovering from the death of his godfather, Sirius Black. He was sent the Daily Prophet, which he found was slightly more trustworthy than during the previous year when it had nearly destroyed his reputation. His friends, Ron and Hermione, had sent him many letters, but it seemed that everything that happened had been in the Daily Prophet. Two days after he left Hogwarts, Cornelius Fudge resigned as Minister of Magic. The Wizengamot, by which Harry had been narrowly saved from expulsion, unanimously had put Dumbledore in charge of the Ministry until a suitable replacement could be found. Today's paper had already been delivered when he woke up. The headline read:  
  
CHAOS IN DIURN ALLEY  
  
10 Killed by Captured Death Eaters  
  
By R. Skeeter  
  
Diurn Alley, Liverpool. 10 Wizards were killed today at the Pogrebin Inn at Diurn Alley. At 6:00 pm yesterday, Death Eaters Antonin Dolohov and Rabastan Lestrange, who escaped from Azkaban last Friday, entered the Inn and killed the barkeeper, who has been identified as Aberforth Dumbledore, brother of the Interim Minister of Magic, before using a Novillius Curse to destroy the entire building. Dead include: Pyramus Hollythorn and and his two daughters, all three worked in the nearby bookstore, former headmaster of Durmstrang Wizarding Academy Igor Karkaroff, Albertus Tennydine, Ludovic Bagman (former Quidditch beater and Head of the Dept. of Magical Games, and sports), and three bodies burnt beyond recognition, believed to be visiting from Egypt. The interim minister has this to say:   
  
"Lord Voldemort has indeed begun to strike with a full force. It is vital for each and every wizard and witch in this country to take all precautions against his attacks, and I warn all of the witches and wizards of this country to stay indoors at night. I can assure you that only one of the victims was the specified target, but Lord Voldemort has never bothered with people who get in his way."  
  
Members of the Order of the Phoenix, an anti-Dark movement, arrived on the scene quickly enough for former Auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody to kill Rabastan Lestrange and for Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt to apprehend them. 16 Gobins were also killed by the blast.  
  
Harry stared at the paper in utter disbelief. He knew that the Death Eaters had all escaped from Azkaban before Professor Dumbledore dismissed the dementors, but this was a very sudden surge of violence; Voldemort had until now committed seemingly random murders all across the country. Harry was one of the only people to know exactly who the intended target was: Igor Karkaroff. Harry had witnessed Voldemort threaten to kill him during Voldemort's rebirthing. Harry stuffed the Daily Prophet into his pocket and took out several empty scrolls and began to write letters to Hermione and Ron, when he heard his Uncle Vernon yelling:  
  
"Come and get your breakfast, boy!"  
  
He put his scrolls down and hurried downstairs. Any food that he could get would be greatly appreciated. Harry sat in silence, pondering the murders, as Aunt Petunia served his uncle and cousin a grapefruit and cereal; him, a piece of toast without butter and an orange. As she refilled Uncle Vernon's coffee mug, he grunted, "thanks." But when Aunt Petunia offered Dudley a second grapefruit, he said nothing. Harry had gathered that since he last left the Dursleys, Dudley had become increasingly detached from his mother. If he didn't know better, he would have supposed that Dudley was afraid of his mother. But Uncle Vernon's explanation for the behavior seemed much more likely. "You mustn't call him Diddy Duddykins any more, Petunia…I'll wager one of Dud's little friends heard you call him that and has been teasing him. It'll pass soon enough."  
  
"Could I have a grapefruit?" Harry asked, knowing that she would either yell at him, or take away his remaining food. But he was very hungry indeed, and he thought that it would be better to take a risk than to wait for his friends' owls to arrive with food. After two dementors attacked Dudley the last summer, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia seemed to decided that starving Harry would force him to move out of the house.   
  
"Why you ungrateful little worm. We've given you food on your plate and the clothes on your back, but nothing's good enough for you," his uncle snarled, "We've made sacrifices to keep you in this household, it's about time you became ready to make some for us."  
  
Harry snorted. Other than dyeing some old clothes gray, Harry could think of no sacrifices that the Dursleys had made for him at all.   
  
"What was that, boy?" his Uncle Vernon. But he was interrupted by Dudley.   
  
"Dad, we're five minutes late already." Of course, thought Harry, the appointment with the car dealer. Dudley had recently reached the driving age, and, as a present, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had offered to buy him any car he wanted. Dudley had set his heart on a loud, big-wheeled Jeep.   
  
"Right then, Dudders. We'll leave immediately…and you," he growled, turning to Harry, "I'll get to you later. Petunia, there's to be no lunch or television for the likes of him."   
  
"Of course not," said Aunt Petunia, her lips curled, "as if he would be grateful for food."  
  
"DAD! LET'S GO!" And he and Uncle Vernon left the kitchen and went out the front door. Aunt Petunia stared out the kitchen window at them as they got into the car and drove off. Once, they were out of sight, she turned to look at him, with her lips curled as tight as drums. Harry had never seen her so upset. Expecting a punishment, he got up and began to head for his room. But as he did, Aunt Petunia spoke.  
  
"Well, do you want a decent breakfast, then?" Harry froze. He had never, ever, in all his years at Privet Drive, been asked if he wanted anything by either his aunt or his uncle, of their own free will. He looked at his Aunt. Her face was red, her lips were curling. She looked as if she were about to explode in a number of seconds. Harry wondered if he had accidentally inflicted magic upon her as he once did on his Aunt Marge, but then realized that he hadn't been angry at all. Wait, thought Harry, that isn't an angry face she has. He forced himself to speak.  
  
"Eh…what?"   
  
"Some breakfast," his Aunt Petunia said, "Would you like s-s-some br-breakfa-a-ast…" Aunt Petunia's lips uncurled as she said this, and she had begun to weep openly. "I-I'll f-fix you some bacon and eggs, if you'd l-l-like."   
  
"Sure…thank you…" Harry was utterly lost for words. He was silent as Aunt Petunia, fumbling around the kitchen and dropping all sorts of things, began to cooking his breakfast on the stove. "Eh…Aunt Petunia…" Harry couldn't remember the last time he had called her Aunt Petunia. "Are you…are you…okay?"   
  
Aunt Petunia stood over the griddle with a spatula in her hand and continued to weep for a long while. Finally, as she scooped his breakfast onto his plate, she regained her composure. For the second time in his life, Harry appreciated that his aunt was his mother's sister.  
  
"Eat it, then."  
  
"Thank you…" said Harry, still staring at his Aunt Petunia, who was now wiping her eyes on her apron, and breathing very deeply. Harry picked up his fork and began to eat. Aunt Petunia stared at the wall with a strange, contemplative look in her eyes, occasionally glancing at Harry. Harry continued to eat his meal in silence. What in the world was going on? Aunt Petunia…had never shown any emotion but anger and impatience toward Harry. Questions rattled around in his brain until he ate his last bite and set his fork on his plate. He got up to take his dishes and clean them.  
  
"Sit down, please, Harry."   
  
He stared at Aunt Petunia for awhile. Something very strange indeed was going on. She had never used the word please when talking to Harry. Come to think of it, she had never called him Harry before, just "boy" and "you." Harry sat down.   
  
"Harry, I…I have something I need to tell you." What does she need to tell me, Harry thought. What does she know?   
  
"I was 5-years-old when your mother got accepted into Hogwarts." Harry's brain was racing. Aunt Petunia had never readily discussed his mother; she had always maintained that she had simply "gotten herself blown up." It was only last summer that she gave any indication of knowledge about the Wizarding World. Had she just referred to his school by its name?  
  
"Neither of my--your grandparents were…were…they weren't…" Aunt Pentunia swallowed, "wizards. They were very suspicious at first, but when that woman, a professor at your school, came to our house…they became extremely pleased that….Lily, was, indeed a…witch."   
  
Harry was now hanging on to Aunt Petunia's every word. He had never been told much about his mother, other than that he had her eyes, and it had only now occurred to him that Aunt Petunia could tell him more about his mother than almost anyone in the wizarding world.   
  
"Lily was going to enter her seventh year when I was eleven. I guess…that I was expecting it to come…"  
  
Harry was looking at his Aunt Petunia more intently than he had ever looked at her before. Was she about to say what he thought she was going to? She swallowed hard and continued.  
  
She said decisively, "My letter came that summer. I went with Lily to get a wand…I was so happy to be a witch, Harry, and Lily was happy for me too. But my parents weren't. You see, Lily--Lily had t-told them about…about…about You-Know-Who. They didn't want me to go…and…I became very jealous of your mother…"  
  
Harry's mind needed time to absorb the information he had heard, but Aunt Petunia continued and his attention did not divert from the secrets she was revealing.  
  
"But Lily convinced them to let me go…I…and I went to my first year at Hogwarts the year she entered her last…"  
  
Harry couldn't stand it any longer. "You're a…a WITCH?!"  
  
"Please, Harry, listen. I was terrible at school. I got a few basic spells, but I was failing my classes horribly and…well, then Lily began to date James." She then, for the first time in Harry's life, smiled at him. "You look just like him, you know."   
  
Harry had heard this before, but coming from his aunt who normally referred to his father as "that awful boy," it was quite something.  
  
"But…"  
  
"Harry, please let me finish. James' family were very prominent wizards…I don't know if you knew that…but they invited Lily, myself, and our parents over for dinner towards the end of the term, just after the engagement…" Tears were now streaming down Aunt Petunia's cheeks. Harry was very much stupefied by this information. He couldn't believe his own ears. He had learned more about his parents than he had ever learned before.  
  
"That horrible night…we arrived at the Potters…and…and…while your parents and I sat outside of the kitchen and talked…" Aunt Petunia was openly weeping now. "While we talked…we heard screaming and s-saw flashes of green light from the kitchen…M-Mrs. P-potter came out the door, yelling for us to run, a-and….and then she…she got hit by the spell, and…d-d-died. Lily and James picked me up and ran just as h-h-he-who-mmmust-n-not…b-b-be-n-named…c-came through the d-door. We just narrowly escaped him…but m-my parents…d-didn't." Aunt Petunia flung her apron over her eyes and began to weep loudly.   
  
Millions of thoughts scrambled around his mind like a sandstorm. His aunt had gone to Hogwarts, all of his grandparents were killed by Lord Voldemort…but why hadn't someone told him any of this? Aunt Petunia was now breathing irregularly, but she had at least stopped weeping.  
  
"Then I l-left Hogwarts for good, I began to hate my sister and blamed our parents death on her and her world. I spent the rest of my l-life hating. I d-destroyed all of my wizarding th-things and moved in with Vernon's sister Marge, who had been a friend of the family."  
  
She seemed to realize something, because her eyes flickered back into complete acuteness.   
  
"of course..V-Vernon doesn't know, Harry. You m-mustn't tell him…"  
  
"I won't," Harry said sincerely.  
  
Aunt Petunia smiled, and then her face became very dark. "But the reason I'm telling you this Harry is because…I need you to do something for me." Harry felt that whatever it was, he would do it. He felt eternally grateful for any information about the lives of his parents.  
  
"Anything," he said.  
  
Aunt Petunia smiled again, before reverting to a frightened face. "I-I need you to cast a memory-modifier on me."  
  
Harry's brain reeled. He had not expected her to ask him to do magic under her roof, let alone upon herself. He must have looked puzzled, for Aunt Petunia spoke again.  
  
"Let me explain. I told you I destroyed all of my wizarding things. Th-that isn't exactly true." And to Harry's enormous surprise, Aunt Petunia removed something long and slender from her apron pocket.   
  
"That's a wand!"   
  
"Yes. Last year, the day before…before…before Dudley was attacked…Vernon was at work…I was in my room…and…I thought it wouldn't hurt…I was practicing magic up in my room. Just simple spells. Dumbledore had alerted me that you-know-who might come back in his letter. So I thought…Harry, I was wrong…" Aunt Petunia's lip started to tremble. "Dudley saw me."  
  
"Is that why he won't talk--"  
  
"Y-yes. I think those things made him see me like a witch. Will you do it for me? I want to forget that I was ever a…witch…for Dudley 's sake."  
  
Harry wanted to do something in return for his aunt's kindness, but he didn't think that he could bear to lose whatever other information she knew. So he cleared his throat and said, "I would, but we haven't learned those yet, and even if we did…we can't use magic outside school."  
  
Aunt Petunia frowned. "You're sure?"  
  
Harry nodded. Aunt Petunia sighed. "Well, please, take my wand away then." She extended her wand for him to take. He grabbed it uncertainly and put it in his pocket. As he did, the Daily Prophet fell out of his pocket.   
  
"Wh-what is that?"  
  
"It's the wizarding newspaper."  
  
"Bloody hell!" She said, as she read the front page, "then he really is back…"  
  
But just then, there was a knock on the door. 


	3. The Visitors

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 3: The Visitors  
  
The door knocked again. Aunt Petunia looked rather embarrassed as she wiped her face with a dishcloth--Harry could tell she wondered if the neighbors had heard her crying, and what they would think if they saw her in this state.  
  
"I'll get it," said Harry. Aunt Petunia nodded and headed up the stairs. "I'm…not…home," she mouthed to him from halfway up the stairs.  
  
Harry opened the door, but saw no one. He didn't dwell on it. He shut the door and went to the living room to sit on the sofa and think. Voldemort killed my whole family, he thought…and his Death Eaters killed…Harry had gone to bed last night promising himself not to think about Sirius. But for the thousandth time this summer, he thought of the red flash, Sirius falling through the veil, and not coming out on the other side. The image was shortly followed by his four grandparents, dead on the kitchen floor, his father's mother lying face down in the doorway. Harry shuddered, and anger at Voldemort began to rise up in him, and it left him feeling very hollow indeed until a pecking on the window behind him distracted him from his contemplations.   
  
Harry turned around and opened the window for a large tawny owl that plopped a bundle of letters in his lap and flew off again. He shut the window, and looked at the top letter, which had no envelope and simply said, in handwriting he recognized to be Dumbledore's:  
  
Harry, I understand your aunt has broken her Fidelius Charm. Please do not disclose the fact that she is a witch to anyone. Congratulations on your O.W.L. Results.   
  
The next letter was sealed with a wax stamp reading: "the Department of Magical Education." Harry trembled as he opened his envelope and pulled out the paper inside of it.  
  
Dear Mr. Potter:   
  
These are the results of the O.W.L. tests you took last year. The grading scale is as follows: O=Outstanding, E=Exceeds Expectations, A=Acceptable, D=dreadful. The Department of Magical Education realizes that special circumstances prevented you from finishing your Astronomy and History of Magic exams. We have therefore not penalized you for incomplete portions on those tests only. Congratulations.  
  
Griselda Marchbanks  
  
Transfiguration: E  
  
Potions: E  
  
Defense Against the Darks Arts: 0  
  
Divination: D  
  
History of Magic: A  
  
Herbology: E  
  
Care of Magical Creatures: O  
  
Astronomy: A   
  
Charms: E  
  
Harry couldn't believe his eyes! 8 O.W.L.s! This was better than he had ever hoped for. What would Hermione say? The biggest miracle of it all was that he managed an "E" in Potions. He hadn't hoped for an O.W.L. in Divination, but at least he didn't have to take that class again. Although now that Firenze was teaching at Hogwarts, he might not mind taking Divination again…but his thought was interrupted by an low, crackling voice from in front of him.  
  
"Got 8 O.W.L.s, did you? Well savor the moment…it'll be the last one you have!" the voice said. And then an invisibility cloak dropped to the floor to reveal a tall mall standing in black robes and wearing a mask with eyeholes.   
  
"H-How…You can't attack me here…"  
  
"Sure, I can…Potter…this will be a pleasant surprise for the Dark Lord, he's away in London…"   
  
Then Harry recognized the voice. It was Avery, and Harry had seen, well, sort of seen him being tortured by Voldemort.   
  
"Voldemort hasn't tortured you lately then?" said Harry boldly.  
  
"SILENCE! DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME!"   
  
But Harry wasn't listening. He thought Dumbledore said that Voldemort couldn't attack him here…surely that goes for his Death Eaters too…  
  
"Well, Potter, prepare to die…" said Avery manically, and as he pointed his wand toward Harry, his scar began to prickle. This was unlike any time his scar had bothered him before, because it didn't hurt him. At the same moment, Avery's face became twisted in pain, and he clutched his wand arm with his other hand, as if he was trying to pull it down. Avery let out an agonizing howl and writhed in pain, unable to point his wand away from Harry.   
  
And then Harry heard another scream from the stairwell. Aunt Petunia had come downstairs, curlers still in her hair, and seen the Death Eater, writhing on her carpet like a headless snake. Aunt Petunia ran into the kitchen and came out soon after with a frying pan clutched like a baseball bat, ready to defend herself. Harry had remained still the entire episode, unsure what would happen if he moved out of the wands path. Then Aunt Petunia seemed to notice his wand arm, stiff and pointed straight at Harry.  
  
The shrill voice that Harry had heard so many times from his aunt rang out through the house.  
  
"HARRY! USE MY WAND!"  
  
"Right," said Harry, taking Aunt Petunia's wand out of his hand, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"A blast of light shot out of his wand and his the writhing Death Eater on the chest. He immediately dropped his wand, and his arms and legs snapped together against his sides. Harry relieved a sigh of relief.  
  
Aunt Petunia came over to Harry and felt his forehead, as if she was looking to take Harry's temperature. Harry was about to point out that he was fine, when Aunt Petunia said softly, "Harry, your scar…it's hot."  
  
"Yah, er, it was all tingly when he pointed his wand at me."  
  
She gave him a very concerned look. "Would you like to take a cold shower? Would you like a glass of water?"  
  
"No…I'm fine."  
  
"Need me to turn on the fan?"  
  
"No, really, I'm fine."  
  
"You're sure."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Aunt Petunia looked down at Avery's petrified body. "That isn't You-Know-Who…" she stated, unsure of herself.  
  
"No, it's one of his supporters. His name is Avery."   
  
"Why did he come here?" Aunt Petunia, asked worriedly, "Will more of them come?"  
  
Harry knew what he had to do. His aunt was definitely not to be treated the way he would have treated the old Petunia Dursley. "Only if I stay here. I'll go…"  
  
"No."  
  
"Aunt Petunia, he came for me!"   
  
"You are not leaving this house. We have to contact Professor Dumbledore at once…send your owl. I'll go upstairs and get her while you watch him."   
  
But they were both interrupted by a loud rumbling in the driveway, presumably Dudley's new jeep. Aunt Petunia's eyes widened fearfully. "Vernon," she whispered feebly.   
  
"Go distract him…I'll cover Avery up with his invisibility cloak…just keep him out of the living room." Aunt Petunia looked at him, unsure, but she went out into the driveway to distract Uncle Vernon. Harry picked the invisibility cloak up off the floor and covered Avery with it, except for his feet, which Harry would use to make sure he didn't wake up. Harry knew he needed to send an owl to Professor Dumbledore, but he didn't dare leave Avery…and how long could Aunt Petunia hold off Uncle Vernon. Then he realized that an owl would be coming any minute to tell him he's broken the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the third time. Could his wand be broken? Would he be expelled? But then Harry remembered that Cornelius Fudge had resigned and Dumbledore wouldn't consider it a violation of the decree if he had a Death Eater to show for it. And Harry's thoughts drifted back to when Dumbledore had said he was protected as long as he lived there. But were the Dursleys? What if Avery had killed Aunt Petunia? Could he have? Our was Harry's mother's love protecting her to? But just then his thought were interrupted by Aunt Petunia's screams. He debated leaving Avery for just a split-second before running outside to rescue Aunt Petunia. But she didn't need rescuing. Rebeus Hagrid, a gigantic man, and his former teacher, Remus Lupin, had just stepped off of a large motorocycle onto the Dursley's lawn.   
  
"Harry! The neighbors…"  
  
She had a good point. Why were Hagrid and Lupin here in the middle of a muggle neighborhood, driving his godfather's oversized motorcycle?   
  
"Disillusio!" Lupin cried, before tapping both Hagrid and the motorcycle hard with his wand. Harry immediately recognized a Disillusionment Charm, for Hagrid was now the color of the grass and drive way around him, and the red motor cycle was blending in nicely with the hedge. And several of the neighbors stuck their heads out the front door, apparently hoping to see a new car in the driveway.  
  
"How are yah, 'Arry?" Hagrid said, apparently smiling.   
  
"Fine. Thanks," and then Harry remembered why they were hear, "There's A DEATH EATER in our living room!"   
  
"Take us to him, Harry," said Lupin urgently.   
  
Lupin went into the house and prodded the doorway with his wand, followed by Hagrid as the door expanded magically to let him in. Meanwhile, Aunt Petunia was waving nervously at the neighbors before ushering Harry inside the house as well.   
  
Lupin had already removed the invisibility cloak and bound Avery up in ropes by the time Harry and Petunia entered the living room. "We knew he wouldn't be able to attack you, but it worried us nonetheless," said Lupin as he passed the invisibility cloak to Hagrid, who put it in one of the pockets of his large coat.   
  
"Yeh gave us a right scare, 'Arry?" he said.  
  
"How are you, Harry?" said Lupin.  
  
"Good. I-" but he was interrupted.  
  
"R-Remus?" Aunt Petunia asked.  
  
"Why, yes! Petunia! I didn't know if you…well, I didn't mean to be rude…I wasn't sure…"  
  
"I understand, Remus…I've just had a talk with Harry…about Lily."  
  
Lupin looked at his feet for awhile before looking back up at Aunt Petunia. "So, you're…OK…with me being here…?"   
  
Hagrid leaned closer to Harry and whispered, "Wha' the bloody 'ell 'appened to 'er?"  
  
Harry simply put his finger to his lips so he could listen in on Lupin and Aunt Petunia. Aunt Petunia was telling Lupin about Dudley catching her with a wand, before she seemed to catch herself and she didn't talked. She just looked at Harry.  
  
"Eh, Professor Lupin…my aunt was wondering if you could perform a Memory Charm on her…she doesn't want to remember…"  
  
"Is this true, Petunia?" Aunt Petunia looked down at the floor and nodded. Lupin sighed and continued, "But Petunia, I must insist that you not have your memory modified. There may come a time when your being a witch will come in handy."  
  
"I was never a witch, Remus."  
  
"Petunia, you just had some troubles getting it down, I'm sure…"  
  
"No, Remus. I am not a witch, and I will not pretend to be one."  
  
Lupin sighed again. "Very well. Harry, I expect you'd like to know what's going on." Harry nodded. "Of course, you might not have realized this but members of the Order are still guarding you. Today's guard was Emmeline Vance, who we found lying in the hyndrangea bushes outside you house."  
  
Harry opened his mouth to interject. "No, she isn't dead. Merely stunned. But Dumbledore received notice from the Improper Use of Magic Office and sent the two of us here immediately."  
  
"Why didn't you apparate?" Harry asked.  
  
"We 'ad to bring the motorcycle to carry the likes of him," replied Hagrid, nodding at Avery.   
  
"Anyway," Lupin continued, "Dumbledore has asked us to move you to Hogwarts, where you will spend the remainder of the summer."   
  
Harry looked blankly at Lupin. This was the first time in his life that he would have liked to stay at Privet Drive with Aunt Petunia. Then Harry realized something.  
  
"We've got to take Aunt Petunia with us, then," said Harry, resolutely, "she isn't safe here."   
  
"Harry, I'll be fine," Aunt Petunia whispered.  
  
"But--"   
  
It was Lupin who spoke. "Harry, listen. No one acting on Lord Voldemort's behalf can enter this house. Avery was acting on his own behalf. No one can attack you, or your family inside this house. Your aunt and uncle are safe from harm as long you live with them, even if it is only a short time out of the year."   
  
"But the dementors…"  
  
"The dementors weren't acting on Voldemort's behalf. But there will be an order member stationed at #4 Privet Drive for the year, and they can handle a dementor quite easily."  
  
"Harry," said Aunt Petunia, "Your Uncle and I will be fine. Please, do as Remus says."  
  
Harry grudgingly went upstairs to pack his things. He wasn't very convinced that the Dursleys were out of harm's way. He stuff his things inside his trunk, grabbed Hedwig's cage, and headed back downstairs.  
  
"Eight O.W.L.s! Harry that is stunning!" cried Lupin.  
  
"Yah, 'Arry. I reckon you'll be given ole 'Ermione a run for her money!" Hagrid beemed.  
  
"Just like your mother, Harry," said Aunt Petunia, a tear in her eye, "I'll see you next summer, then." The she did something which Harry didn't expect. His Aunt Petunia gave him a hug. It was rather like petting a dog that up until a few hours ago had bitten him every time he'd gotten near. Hagrid handed Harry his letters, and they followed Lupin and the floating body of Avery out the door.   
  
As Hagrid, Harry and Lupin flew off on the motorcycle, Aunt Petunia waved good-bye.  
  
"Well, tha's a quite a change, isn't it?" observed Hagrid as they flew up into the clouds. 


	4. The Gifts of the Headmaster

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 4: The Gifts from the Headmaster  
  
Harry, Sirius and Hagrid arrived on the Hogwarts lawn, right next to the Giant Squid's lake. The squid was basking in the sun, occasionally picking a crab off of the shore for a snack. Harry smirked as he imagined telling Ron that he had arrived at Hogwarts in a flying vehicle for the second time in his life. As Lupin undid the Disillusionment Charm and Hagrid picked up Avery, Harry surveyed the grounds. The Hogwarts castle towered about 50 yards in front of them. As he looked toward the forbidden forest and Hagrid's hut, he noticed 20 small cottages around the boarder of the forest. Curious, he turned to ask Hagrid about them, but was distracted by Avery, who was now coming to.   
  
"Dormiens," Lupin said, waving his wand at Avery, "Harry, we'd better get him to Dumbledore."  
  
"I'll be goin' then," Hagrid said gruffly, "Got ter check up on summat. Later, then, 'Arry." He began walking toward his cabin.  
  
Harry and Lupin waved goodbye, and headed toward the front doors, a Gargoyle statue on either side.   
  
"Student's at school 'alfway through the summer," the one on the left said, "Ne'er seen such a thing in my life, Dort."  
  
"Nor 'ave I," said Dort.  
  
Lupin opened the door, and Harry and he found themselves alone in the Great Hall, the sun smiling at them from behind clouds on the enchanted ceiling. Harry had never realized just how big the Great Hall was. With hundreds of students eating in it, it didn't seem as monstrously large as it now did.   
  
"Quiet, isn't it?" Lupin smiled.   
  
"Yah, it's so empty…"   
  
"Well that'll all change in a few weeks, when the term starts."  
  
They winded up to the stairs to the stone gargoyle, discussing the O.W.L.s (especially Defense Against the Dark Arts) and Harry's career choices.  
  
"Aurory is a great field, Harry," Lupin remarked sagely, "but a very difficult one. I'm proud that you decided to take that path."  
  
"Sir, why didn't you become an Auror?" Harry questioned. Lupin was very skilled at Defense Against the Dark Arts and seemed to know enough about the other subjects to become an Auror. The wistful look that appeared on Lupin's face told Harry exactly why he didn't become an Auror.  
  
"The Ministry hasn't been very keen on hiring werewolves, Harry."  
  
"But Dumbledore…"  
  
"Dumbledore would give me a job in a second, Harry," Lupin said quietly, "but I wouldn't take it, and he knows that. The truth about werewolves has to be understood before I'll work anywhere. Besides, I do enough Aurory in the Order."   
  
"But you change the way people think," Harry began. But just then he walked right into tiny little Professor Flitwick, his charms teacher, and knocked him backwards.  
  
"Sorry, Professor!"   
  
"It's OK, Potter. Hope you're well. My goodness, your summer must be quite dull indeed if you'd rather be at an empty Hogwarts," he squeaked, before noticing Lupin. "Hello, Remus! Are you back to…"  
  
"No, I won't be teaching this year, Professor."   
  
"I see…my goodness! Where did he come from?" Flitwick asked, noticing the Death Eater floating above their heads.  
  
"He attacked my house, sir."  
  
"So that's why you're here! Well, you had better see Dumbledore straight away. He is a Death Eater, then?" Class! Harry suddenly remembered that he hadn't opened his Hogwarts letter yet. He reached into his pocket at examined it.  
  
His class schedule and booklist accompanied the usual notice that the term started on September 1st.   
  
N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts: The Advanced Book of Black Magic by Septimius Cog  
  
N.E.W.T. Transfiguration: Advanced Guide to Transfiguration and Beginner's Untransfiguration, by Professor E. D. Jeersong  
  
N.E.W.T. Charms: New Book of Advanced Charms by Urmius Sapp  
  
N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures: Dangerous Creatures of the World by Swed Snogtail  
  
N.E.W.T. Potions: Please bring an silver cauldron for this year's advanced and dangerous potion making.  
  
Harry was astounded. He had made it into N.E.W.T.-level Potions? He was sure he heard McGonagall tell him that Professor Snape only accepts those who receive an "Outstanding" on their Potions O.W.L. He read a handwritten note scrawled on the bottom of the page.  
  
Mr. Potter: Please note that I have registered you in these classes bases completely off of your O.W.L scores and you're career choice. But I thought you might enjoy taking "N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures." You may send an owl to the school if these classes don't suit you.   
  
Professor Minerva McGonagall.  
  
P.S. Yes, you are taking Potions, Potter.  
  
Lupin and Flitwick were still talking.  
  
"But don't you usually go home for the holidays, Professor?"  
  
"Yes, I'm only visiting here to be sure that the Borkkleburgs get settled in nicely. After that, I'll be headed home!"   
  
"So--they've agreed to come?"  
  
"Agreed? Over 20 families! They were dying to come, it's more protection than they've ever dreamed of."  
  
"But they are the protection…" Lupin stopped. He and Professor Flitwick looked nervously at Harry.  
  
"Well, good-bye Remus. Harry, I'll see you in class. Congratulations on your O.W.L.s!" he winked at them and scurried off down the stairs.   
  
"What did you mean, protection? Who are they?" asked Harry, bemused. He wondered what they were protecting and from who. He was sure that they didn't need protection from Voldemort within Hogwarts…He was afraid of Dumbledore and he can't Apparate inside the grounds.  
  
"Never you mind that, Harry."  
  
"Don't be too speedy with the delivery, Remus?" said an old, familiar voice. Dumbledore was standing right behind them. He wasn't upset; he was smiling at them over his half-moon glasses. Harry looked down. He hadn't left Dumbledore on a happy note last year. It had been right after Sirius died. The vision of the Veil flashed before Harry's eyes again, the anger at himself rising. Why had he been tricked so easily? It was his fault…his stomached tightened.  
  
"Harry, how are you?" asked Dumbledore, gently.   
  
"Fine, Sir," Harry lied.  
  
"Why don't we go into my office." Harry and Lupin started toward the door.   
  
"Wait," said Dumbledore, "Guests first." And with those words, Avery's body floated up the stair case (where just moments ago, the gargoyle statue had been). They all ascended the stairs after him. Dumbledore flicked his wand, and three chairs were conjured. Avery sat on one, Lupin and Harry on the other two.   
  
"Please, Remus, give him the Veritaserum," Dumbledore commanded. Lupin nodded and unscrewed a bottle of liquid that he put in Avery's mouth. "Ennervate."  
  
Avery's eyelids opened, but barely. Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Why did you come to #4 Privet Drive this morning?"  
  
Avery did not look at any of them. His half-opened eyes stared straight ahead. "I wanted to kill Harry Potter and bring his body to the Dark Lord. He would be pleased with me."  
  
"And did the Dark Lord order this?"   
  
"No. I wanted to surprise him. He has been most displeased lately."  
  
"His plans are failing."   
  
But Harry had just remembered something. "Professor, he said Voldemort was in London!"  
  
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "Is this true?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why has Voldemort gone to London?"   
  
"We do not know."  
  
"That should do. Dormiens." Avery nodded back into deep slumber.  
  
Dumbledore stood up. "Remus, alert the Order at once. Please take Mr. Avery to Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Voldemort will not be aware of his absence for a few days, nor will he ever know that Avery attacked Harry. Tell Madam Bones to modify his memory as such. I need to speak with Harry."  
  
Lupin nodded, but before he left, he gave Dumbledore a parcel and whispered something into his ear. Dumbledore nodded. Lupin said good-bye to Harry and he was gone.  
  
"Harry. I'm certainly glad to see you safe and sound. Of course, I knew that you wouldn't be harmed, but all the same, I'm glad to see you're OK," Dumbledore said, studying Harry over his glasses. "Now, it seems that your Aunt Petunia has broken her Fidelius Charm and revealed to you that she was, although briefly, once a witch at this very school. But beyond that, I do not know what she said."  
  
"She told me about my mom, and how…how Voldemort killed my grandparents too. And that's why she left." Harry was getting angry. Why hadn't Dumbledore mentioned this before? And he told Harry last year that he would tell him everything.  
  
Dumbledore looked sad. "Yes, I thought she might have," he said quietly. "Well, that is one of the reasons you're here. It is true, Harry, that the Lord Voldemort, did, indeed murder all four of your grandparents."   
  
Harry swallowed and noticed the empty cage that usually housed Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix. He was quite angry at Dumbledore for not telling him any of this.  
  
"Harry, your father's parents were both great wizards. They had been very vocal about the Death Eaters of their generation and the weaknesses of each one. Voldemort was not, of course, fazed at all by the fact that he had to murder two muggles in the process." Dumbledore paused and looked sympathetically at Harry. "You may be wondering why I haven't mentioned this before?" Harry nodded. Dumbledore sighed and continued. "Harry are you aware how a Fidelius Charm works?" Harry nodded again, but not so confidently.  
  
"It is an immensely complicated charm. There must be one secret keeper, and that keeper is the only one who can reveal the information to someone who already doesn't know it. I was your aunt's secret keeper, and therefore, only I could reveal the information to someone who didn't already know. The people who did know the information, however, do not forget it. They simply cannot reveal it to anyone else. Sirius knew your aunt was a muggle, as did Hagrid, Remus, Professor McGonagall, and numerous others. However, if I told you about your grandparents or your aunt, I would have broken the Fidelius Charm and made it possible for anyone to find out about Petunia Evans. Now it seems that Petunia has willingly allowed that information to be passed freely throughout the Wizarding World. I do, however, ask you not to parade this information around school."   
  
Harry stared at Dumbledore in amazement. "Is that why she took me in?"  
  
"Yes and No. I believe that Petunia Evans, despite what she says, deeply misses her sister. On the other hand, she did make this request to me shortly after you arrived on her doorstep. I believe that she wanted to be assured that you could never find out. Her worst fear was, I assume, that her husband or son would discover her secret."  
  
"Dudley found her with a wand. That's why she told me," Harry blurted out, "she wanted me to modify her memory."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "That explains a great deal. Of course, no wizard or witch would agree to make another forget about her magical powers. I expect that hers was the wand that conjured the Full-Body Bind on Mr. Avery?"   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you give her wand back to her?"  
  
"Yes."   
  
Dumbledore looked at him contemplatively. "Harry, do you remember me telling you that your parents had escaped Voldemort narrowly three times?" Harry nodded. He had briefly forgotten about the Prophecy that Dumbledore had revealed to him.  
  
"Was that the first time?" Harry guessed.  
  
Dumbledore nodded and smiled again. "Harry there is another thing that I need to discuss with you. There is an imminent danger here at Hogwarts this term. Although I feel that it is best that you do not know the full details of this threat, I will tell that not all of Hogwart's ancient protections remain in effect this year."  
  
"Then why am I staying here."  
  
"Lord Voldemort has not the slightest idea where you are, Harry. He will not attack until he is sure you are here. He expects you to be at Privet Drive all summer, and the last place he expects you to be is here."   
  
Harry looked at him blankly. Did Dumbledore think Voldemort had a plan to kill him? Harry remembered the Prophecy… "Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives." This meant that he or Voldemort must kill the other. Harry's thoughts depressed him. Sirius's death and the mysterious connection between he and Voldemort that would result in a murder…and Voldemort had a plan to kill him.  
  
"Are you all right, Harry?" asked Dumbledore, looking quite concerned.  
  
"Yes, Headmaster, I'm fine," Harry lied. He didn't want to talk about Sirius or the Prophecy to anyone, least of all Dumbledore, who he still felt was responsible for the death of his godfather.   
  
"Very well, then Harry. I also have something to give you." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small golden lion pin, engraved with a "P." Harry looked at him curiously.  
  
"But there are only two prefects in each house," Harry argued.  
  
"I have decided that a third prefect in the sixth and seventh years would help to make the students feel more secure about their safety here at Hogwarts,"  
  
"Even though they aren't safe," snapped Harry. He didn't know why he was angry--he should have been grateful. How dare Dumbledore not tell him how and why they were all in danger…he had been through more than any other student at this school.  
  
Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, I want to assure you I have taken every precaution against intrusion at Hogwarts," he said firmly, "as you will no doubt be finding out soon enough." This answer didn't satisfy Harry at all, but he felt too tired and weak to continue.   
  
"Also," continued Dumbledore, "Professor Lupin wishes that you receive this. He thinks that your Godfather would have willed it to you." He handed the parcel to Harry, who didn't open it.  
  
"By the way, Harry," said Dumbledore, standing up, "Sirius has willed Number 12 Grimmauld Place to you, as well as his possessions. I trust that you will permit the Order to continue its use as a Headquarters."  
  
Harry nodded half-heartedly. He was getting very tired.   
  
"You had better get some rest, Harry."   
  
Harry got up, collected his badge, letters, and his parcel. "Er…Professor…where I am supposed to be…"  
  
Dumbledore smiled, "Why…wherever you'd like. There isn't anyone else here. But if you'd like to sleep in a familiar place, the password to the Gryffindor common room is 'graagdegooklejuk'."   
  
"Eh…what was it?" Dumbledore had said something which Harry was quite sure wasn't a word at all.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "grah-ahg-deg-oo-kla-juck. Accent on the 'kla.' It's Gobbledegook for 'graefruit,'" Dumbled explain, and seeing the look on Harry's face, added, "Gobbledegook is the language of Goblins."   
  
"Eh…Professor…why is the password…why is it Goblededook…or whatever it is?" Harry asked, trying to be polite.   
  
Dumbledore smiled at him. "It's good to brush up on our foreign languages every so often."   
  
Harry was distinctly puzzled, but yawned and turned to head back to the Gryffindor common room. But something was bothering him. "Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where is Fawkes?"  
  
Dumbledore said plainly, "Fawkes has taken up permanent residency in the Astronomy tower."  
  
Harry thanked Dumbledore and exited his office, things in hand. As he walked up several flights of stairs chanting, "Grah-ahg-deg-oo-kla-juck," he noticed how empty and eerily quiet the castle was during the summer. The clock nearest to him told him that it was nearly 6:00. Harry arrived at the secret entrance to the Gryffindor common room, a portrait of a snoring fat lady in a pink dress, around 30 minutes later.  
  
"Grah-bah-lug-uh-deh-judd."  
  
The Fat Lady stirred. "Nice try," she said groggily, "but no."  
  
Harry cursed under his breath. How was he supposed to remember Gobbledegook? "GRAH-AHL-AHB-OO-GLEH-GOO!" He shouted.  
  
"No need to yell it, sir," the Fat Lady said, now fully awake. "I can hear quite well."  
  
"Was I right?"  
  
"Afraid not."   
  
"ARGH!" stormed Harry. He stomped his feet. He was so furious with Dumbledore for picking such an outlandish password…  
  
But then the Fat Lady swung open.  
  
There was already someone in his common room. 


	5. Borlig Borkkleburg

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 5: Borlig Borkkleburg  
  
Standing before Harry was a very curious person (Was it a person, even?) indeed. He was about three feet tall, and had long pointy fingers. His head, adorned with curly black hair, was very large for his small body, but his eyes very narrow and he had pointy ears and a pointy nose. Harry was quite sure that this must be a young goblin. He had only seen goblins a few times in his life: at Hogsmeade, Gringotts, and the Quidditch World Cup, but he was quite sure that the person before him was, indeed, one.  
  
"Grah-ahg-deg-oo-kla-juck," he said, baring his sharp, yellowing teeth. Harry took this for a grin.  
  
"Er…thanks…"  
  
"I…gam…Borlig Borkkleburg," said the Goblin. He made a strange clicking noise with his throat in between each word, making a 'g' sound that appeared at the front of each word. Harry remembered Professor Flitwick saying that he was here to welcome the Borkkleburgs.  
  
"Erm…Hello, Borlig. I'm Harry."  
  
"Heggo, Garry," said Borlig.  
  
"Erm…do you live here…for the summer?" asked Harry. He quite wished that Hermione was here. She could surely think of something more interesting to ask Borlig.   
  
"I glive here gwith my parents," Borlig replied, "dey glive by deh gwoods."  
  
"Oh! So those are your cottages out there then?"   
  
"Gyes. You gare gin deh gyear six?"  
  
"Yes…I'm a sixth year."   
  
"Me galso."  
  
"Great…eh…so…you'll be going to school here then?"  
  
"Gyes. Gand I gam gliving ghere gin deh Gryffindorgroom. Deh ghat said so."  
  
"The sorting hat?"  
  
"Gyes, deh gold ghat."  
  
"Well, I'm going to go to bed…"  
  
"Me galso."  
  
"Right."  
  
Borlig followed Harry up to the fifth year boys' dormitory. Harry noticed that along with the five beds that were there normally, a sixth miniscule one had been added.  
  
"Gnight."  
  
"Good night."  
  
Harry lay awake thinking about Borlig. Of course, Dumbledore had picked a password that Borlig would find easy to pronounce--the Fat Lady was unlikely to accept his broken English. But something else bothered Harry…there were nearly twenty cottages on the edge of the forest. Surely there were more goblins coming, and they would probably have children with them, to send to Hogwarts. Borlig seemed like a very nice goblin, but he had heard goblins could be very nasty. Harry wished he could see his friends, Hermione and Ron, and tell them both what had happened to Harry lately. Harry drifted to sleep thinking of the veil…  
  
"Gmorning, Garry!"  
  
Harry looked up groggily and saw Borlig's head inches away from his. He gasped, inadvertently.   
  
"G-Good morning, Borlig."  
  
"Gwant to go get breakfat?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
So Harry threw on some clothes and followed Borlig out of the common room, and they began to descend the stairs to the great hall. Harry wondered if there was even a set breakfast hour during the summer. Over the Christmas holidays, one just went down to breakfast at his leisure.  
  
"Gyou glike deh school, Garry?"  
  
"Yes…it's a great school. Loads of fun during the school year."  
  
"Goblins glike gme don't gusually go to school gwith gwizards, Garry," Borlig told him as they approached the Great Hall.  
  
"But why not?" Harry had just realized that there were probably just as many goblins as there were wizards and why they shouldn't go to the same school.  
  
"Gwe garen't gallowed to gown gwands," Borlig said sadly, "gwe gused gour gown gmagic gwithout gwands. Gbut gnow Dumbledore gis gletting gus ghave gour gown gwands."  
  
"Why aren't you allowed to have wands?" asked Harry angrily. This notion didn't seem fair to him at all: Goblins were much more powerful than many of the witches and wizards he knew.   
  
Borlig looked at him sadly. "Because some gwizards…tink dat we gizn't people ."   
  
Harry's teeth clenched. He knew perfectly well that some wizards and witches hated "half-breeds," and hated Goblins and Centaurs for that very reason. He though of Professor Umbridge, last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and realized just how unjust her ways of governance were.  
  
"That isn't true, Borlig," said Harry resolutely, "you can probably do loads of stuff I can't."  
  
"I gizn't neither, Garry," Borlig said blushing.  
  
They reached the Great Hall and found the staff table had places set for them. Dumbledore was seated in his usual chair, Hagrid was seated at his right, and Mr. Filch, the caretaker was seated at the end, with his cat, Mrs. Norris.   
  
"Good morning, Harry! I see you've met Borlig!" cried Professor Dumbledore, "Have a seat, we're having huevos rancheros."   
  
Harry didn't bother to ask what "huevos rancheros" was; it smelled delicious.   
  
"Mornin', 'Arry!"  
  
"Morning, Hagrid," replied Harry.  
  
"I was wonderin' if you wouldn' want to come an 'ave lunch at my cottage today."   
  
"Sure."  
  
Harry finished his huevos rancheros, and turned to Dumbledore.  
  
"Eh, Professor Dumbledore…where are the rest of the professors?"  
  
It was Filch who answered . "At home. You don't expect us to stay here and keep an eye on you students trespassin' on the corridors. But I do, coz I'm needed."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Harry, you might not have realized it, but your teachers have families to go home to over the holidays."  
  
Harry let this thought sink in. He had assumed that none of his teachers were married, and he now realized how foolish this was. Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened, and handful of Goblins came in the doors. Borlig ran over to them and began chatting in Gobbledegook. They all spoke so quickly that Harry couldn't make out a single syllable they said. Now, Dumbledore began to speak with them as well.  
  
"Burglik, Crumlock…graabulickaplunk."  
  
Harry turned to Hagrid with a very puzzled and exasperated expression on his face. Hagrid seemed to share his feelings, "Ready ter leave, then, 'Arry?"  
  
"Yes, let's," replied Harry.  
  
Harry and Hagrid excused themselves, said goodbye to the Borkkleburgs, Dumbledore, and Filch (who growled some that sounded strangely like "don't come back,") and left the grounds to head for Hagrid's cabin. Hagrid and Harry talked about their summers (Hagrid had apparently been to Beauxbatons Academy visiting the equally enormous Madame Maxime), and about the following year's Quidditch season.  
  
"So when are yah going to 'ave tryouts?"   
  
"I dunno…we need two chasers, though," said Harry, "and I hope our beaters have improved, or we might need to replace them, too…"  
  
"I reckon Ginny Weasley would be a grand chaser," mused Hagrid.  
  
"Yeah, but I guess it'll be up to the captain…" Harry said pensively.  
  
"Well, that'll be you, won' it?" asked Hagrid, as though he had come to this conclusion a long time ago.  
  
Harry thought. Katie Bell was a year older then him, wouldn't she be the captain? But they'd both been on the team for 5 years. And Katie had never wanted to be the captain. Would he be the captain this year? It was an interesting question.  
  
"Yep, I reckon with a bit of trainin', Gryffindor'll get that cup for the third year runnin'. And tha's a huge accomplishment."   
  
Harry was suddenly interrupted from his Quidditch thoughts by another question. He studied Hagrid's face. There weren't nearly as many scratches, bruises, and missing teeth as there were the last time Harry had seen him.  
  
"Hagrid, how's Grawp?" To Harry's great surprise, Hagrid smiled.   
  
"I reckon he's round here somewhere."  
  
"Does Dumbledore know about him, Hagrid?"   
  
"Prolly, does. Dumbledore knows a lot more than he lets on."  
  
"He hasn't been fighting you, then?"   
  
"Nah, he's past tha' stage. Would yeh like tah visit him?"  
  
"No…it's fine, really…" Harry remembered his last visit with Grawp, and was greatly relieved to be interrupted by a clamor of hooves approaching them.  
  
"Harry Potter," said Firenze, a white-blonde centaur, "We meet again." There were two other centaurs with him. "Hagrid." Firenze nodded.  
  
"Mornin' Firenze," said Hagrid.  
  
"Harry Potter, allow me to introduce you to Qurian"--a tall, orange centaur stepped forward and bowed-- "and Pharene"--a light gray centaur, clearly a woman, stepped forward and bowed.  
  
"Qurian and Pharene have kindly agreed to join me in assisting Professor Dumbledore. They have, however, been doing this without the knowledge of the herd. Now then, we must leave you, Harry Potter and Hagrid. We have work to attend to."   
  
"Righ' then. Bye, Firenze--Qurian--Pharene."   
  
"Bye," repeated Harry, and the three centaurs galloped off around the castle.   
  
"Strange blokes, centaurs."   
  
Harry and Hagrid rounded the corner and Hagrid's hut came insight. And next to it, Harry noticed, was a person even bigger than Hagrid, wearing an animal skin coat and baring large yellow teeth the size of saucers. Harry froze. He quite wondered if Grawp had been set free on purpose.  
  
" Lo, Grawp!"   
  
"HAGGER!"  
  
"Remember my friend 'Arry!"   
  
"ARRY! WHERE HERMY?" asked Grawp.   
  
Harry felt very uncomfortable speaking to the giant. He spoke loudly, unsure if Grawp even understood what he was saying. "I dunno, Grawp…she's…"   
  
"Right here, Grawp," said Hermione Granger, stepping out of Hagrid's hut, with Harry's other best friend, Ron Weasley. 


	6. Pumpkin Juice and Gharblags

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 6: Pumpkin Juice and Gharblags  
  
Hermione ran over to Harry to give him a hug, and they went inside Hagrid's cabin.  
  
"Surprise, Harry!" Hermione said.  
  
"Aye, surprise," said Ron.  
  
Harry grinned. "When did you two get here?"  
  
"Dumbledore sent us a letter yesterday asking us to come, and he sent Tonks to get us this morning," Hermione said happily. Ron, who had grown another few inches rubbed his eyes groggily and Harry could tell that he wasn't quite awake yet.   
  
"How is Tonks?"  
  
"She's fine," said Hermione, "she says she's been kept busy with the Order."  
  
"Nearly made me fall out of my chair, showing up at my door looking like Professor Snape," said Ron.  
  
Hermione, Hagrid, and Harry all shared a laugh.  
  
"It isn't funny," said Ron, "how would you like it if your teacher shows up at your door and tells you that you have to take Potions again next year…"   
  
Hermione let out a squeak. "Harry…tell me about your O.W.L.s…I got 10, I was quite pleased…" Ron rolled his eyes.   
  
"I got six, mate."   
  
"I managed to get eight," said Harry.   
  
"That's wonderful, Harry!"   
  
"Good job, mate."   
  
Ron grinned menacingly. "Well, looks like we're done with potions. Boy, that really made my summer. Hermione's got to take it again!"   
  
"Oh, Ron, it isn't that bad…"   
  
Harry looked at them. "Well, actually…"   
  
Ron's jaw dropped. "No way…You got an OUTSTANDING in potions?" he said suspiciously. Hermione was beeming.  
  
"That's the thing…I only got an E…"  
  
"Let's hope it's a mistake then," said Ron darkly. "We know Snape wouldn't let you into his class with a substandard grade."  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"But anyway, what classes have you got?"   
  
So Harry, Ron, and Hermione compared their schedules while Hagrid made lunch for Grawp (an entire lamb) and them. Ron was taking Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione had registered for seven classes: Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Arithmancy.   
  
"She's crazy, Harry," said Ron. "Not even Percy took seven N.E.W.T. classes…"  
  
"How is Percy?" asked Harry. Percy had severed his relationship with his family last year, but now that even the Ministry agreed that Voldemort had returned, Harry thought Percy might have apologized to the Weasleys.  
  
"He at least talks to us now and stops by every once in awhile," said Ron, "but I think he's still rather embarrassed about the whole thing."   
  
Harry nodded.   
  
Hermione jumped in, "Harry, tell us why you had to come to school early…"  
  
So Harry told them all about Aunt Petunia's confession about his grandparents' deaths and about how Avery had tried to attack him in the his house and Lupin and Hagrid came to get him.   
  
"Twas the strangest change I'd ever seen, 'is Aunt Petunia," added Hagrid.  
  
"But do you think Dumbledore's right about Voldemort not being able to attack them again?" asked Hermione.  
  
"I reckon he is…don't miss a trick, he doesn' " replied Hagrid.  
  
"And Avery couldn't attack you?"   
  
"Nope, he just started shaking…and it hurt him somehow…"  
  
"Blimey, Harry, you're lucky," Ron said, his eyes wide.  
  
"Luck's got nothing to do with it, Ron…Harry's mother left some kind of magic on him…"  
  
"So, was it weird staying the Castle all by yourself?" asked Ron.   
  
"Well, actually…" And Harry launched into the story of how they had met Professor Flitwick and how Dumbledore had told him about the Fidelius Charm.   
  
"Of course, why didn't I see it earlier?" Hermione asked, "that is so fascinating."  
  
"Don' understan' a bit of that Fidelius Business. Too complicated for the likes of me," said Hagrid.  
  
"Aye, aye," replied Ron, raising his glass of pumpkin juice.   
  
Harry began again. "He said that the time at my grandparents was one of the three times that…" But he stopped himself. He wasn't sure that he wanted Hermione and Ron to know about the Prophecy. It would only make them worry, and he didn't like to talk about it.  
  
"Yes?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Nothing," lied Harry. Hermione and Ron looked at each other curiously and Harry continued, "he gave me a package, and…" Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out his prefect's badge.  
  
"Oh, Harry, this is wonderful!"   
  
"Congratulations, 'Arry," chimed Hagrid, beeming, "I knew Dumbledore wouldn' let you down!"  
  
"I don't think I could have handled it without you, mate…" Ron whispered into Harry's ear.  
  
"What was that, Ron?" said Hermione, in a false accusatory voice. Ron looked nervous, but a second later she was grinning.  
  
"But what was in the package, Harry?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Oh…I don't know…I haven't opened it yet…"  
  
Hermione and Ron both raised their eyebrows. "So Dumbledore gives you a mysterious package and you just didn't open it?" asked Ron.  
  
"I was distracted…" And Harry told them all about Borlig Borkkleburg.  
  
"Hagrid…is that why those cottages are there? Because there are Goblins at Hogwarts?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Yeh…"  
  
"But why doesn't Borlig just stay with his parents?"  
  
"Never you mind that."   
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all recognized the look on Hagrid's face to be the "I'm keeping a secret for Dumbledore" look.  
  
"Wait a second," said Harry, thinking hard, "Professor Flitwick said he was here visiting the Borkkleburgs…he said they wanted protection…and then Lupin said that they were the protection."  
  
Ron's eyes widened. "Protection from what, do you reckon?"   
  
"And that's not all. Dumbledore warned me about something. He said that some of the ancient protections on Hogwarts might not work this year."  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Harry exchanged dark looks. "Hagrid?" they asked.  
  
"You three…jus no tha' it's been taken care of…"  
  
Harry was about to protest, but just then.  
  
"HAGGER! HERMY! RON! HARRY! COME OUT SEE RUNNERS!"  
  
"Runners?" asked a puzzled Hermione.  
  
"Wha's going on?" asked Hagrid, leaping up to go out of the door.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stood in Hagrid's doorway and watched as four wizards and witches ran up to the doors of the Great Hall. Among them Harry could recognize his Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall, and Lupin. In a flash, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and even Grawp were all running toward the castle.  
  
"GRAWPY!" yelled Hagrid, "GO…WATCH THE TREE!"  
  
"YES, HAGGER! BYE HERMY!" and Grawp walked off in the opposite direction.  
  
"Tree?" inquired Hermione.  
  
"You know, Hermy, I think Grawp fancies you," teased Ron.  
  
"Shut up, Ron." And they opened the doors to the Great Hall, where they saw McGonagall, Lupin, Dumbledore, the Borkkleburgs, and two other people conversing at the staff table. McGonagall's voice bellowed through the whole hall.  
  
"Thank goodness for Fred and George Weasley! They alerted the hall of records at once, you see, and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had six dozen wizards and witches standing guard at the entrance. Apparently, he was seen…"  
  
"Outside of my shop," came an old, softened voice that made the hairs stand up on the back of Harry's neck. It was Mr. Ollivander, the owner of the wand shop where Harry had bought his wand several years ago.  
  
"I saw him there too Professor," came another familiar voice.  
  
"BILL!" cried Ron. All seven people at the staff table turned to look at the four who had just entered the Great Hall.  
  
"Harry, Ron, Hermione, please go up to your dormitory immediately," said Dumbledore. "Hagrid, please come here."   
  
"Why--" Harry began. But Hermione was pulling him up the stairs already. "Come on, Harry!"   
  
Harry heard Mrs. Borkkleburg yell for Borlig, presumably telling him to go with Harry, because at that moment Borlig came running up behind them.  
  
"Hello, Borlig."  
  
As they ascended the seven flights of stairs to the Gryffindor common room, Harry introduced Borlig to Hermione and Ron, who chuckled when Borlig called him Gron, but was silenced by a blow to the stomach from Hermione which clearly knocked the wind out of him.  
  
"Borlig, if you don't mind me asking…why didn't you stay with your parents before Harry came…did they mention anything to you?" asked Hermione.  
  
Harry wondered why he hadn't asked Borlig that earlier.  
  
"Gyes, Ghermione…gey said dat git gwas too danggerous."  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Harry exchanged significant glances.   
  
"Gwhy?"   
  
Harry wasn't sure if he felt comfortable telling a Goblin that he had known for two days about Dumbledore's warning, and judging from the look on Ron's face, neither was he. But Hermione began…  
  
"It's just that…well Professor Dumbledore warned Harry that Hogwarts was in danger this year…"   
  
"O…" said Borlig thoughtfully, "gmy famgily gwon't tell gme gnothing."   
  
"I see…" said Hermione, deep in thought.  
  
When they reached the sixth floor, Borlig told them that he had left his "gharblag" there and would meet them in the common room.   
  
"What's a ghablarg?"  
  
"A gharblag gis…glike…g..ah g..I gwill show you."  
  
They told Borlig that they would see him in a few minutes. When he was out of sight, Ron rounded on Hermione.  
  
"Hermione! We can't go explaining our secrets to HIM…"  
  
"Ron! It is VERY important that these Goblins feel at home at Hogwarts," and seeing the expression on his face, "THAT means befriending Borlig, yes! Honestly, you should try TALKING to Bill about his work."   
  
"What's that supposed to mean? I don't talk to my own brother enough?" Ron's ears were turning red.   
  
"No! It means you don't talk about anything important…just Quidditch…and," Hermione puckered her lips and made a goo-goo eyed impression of someone who had a very big crush on someone, "Fleur Delacour…"  
  
Ron's face flashed scarlet. "And how is Viktor?"   
  
It was Hermione's turn to blush. "He's FINE, thank you."  
  
But they had reached the Fat Lady. "Erm…Harry…what's the password?" asked Ron.  
  
"Oh…blimey…Brah-gah-doo-kah-dah-ka…" Harry guessed feebly.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Gyou gmust work gon dat Gobbledegook, Garry," came a friendly voice from behind them, "Grah-ahg-deg-oo-kla-juck." And the Fat Lady swung open.  
  
They turned to thank Borlig, but their jaws dropped as they saw exactly what a "gharblag" was.  
  
"Blimey, Borlig…is that a…a…dog?" Ron was flabbergasted.  
  
"Gno…"  
  
"What is that, Borlig?" asked Harry, stepping backwards.  
  
"Gharblag," said Borlig simply.  
  
Hermione, however, had her finger on her lips, thinking hard. "Oh! Is that a….is that a jarvey?"  
  
Borlig nodded fervently. "Yes….garvey…" He was holding what appeared to be a large squirming ball of fuzz, until a head popped out of it.  
  
Harry looked at it. It looked like a rather overgrown ferret. It was rather cute, actually.  
  
But just then the jarvey made a rude noise, followed by, "Brilliant, Bushy! Nice to see your brain's at least as big as your ego."   
  
Harry was shocked. Borlig looked embarrassed; Hermione, affronted. But Ron laughed. "I like that thing, Borlig." Borlig grinned. "Gis smart, dah gharblag."   
  
The jarvey wasn't done. "What are you laughing at? You smell worse than the backside of cow."  
  
It was Harry and Hermione's turn to laugh. Ron looked taken aback, but he and Borlig eventually joined in the laughter.  
  
"That," said Ron, "is brilliant."   
  
"Aww, go look in the mirror and frighten yourself, Freckleface."  
  
And from that moment onward, Ron, Hermione, and Harry became Borlig's friend. 


	7. The Hall of Records

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 7: the Hall of Records  
  
Harry and Ron were taking great delight in showing Gharblag a picture of their archrival, Draco Malfoy, while Borlig and Hermione discussed Goblin politics at the other side of the common room.  
  
"He needs some color. I ought to wipe my backside on his hair..."  
  
"I of course, think that the Goblin Liaisons office is a complete joke..."  
  
"Is he trying to look like a sheet of toilet tissue?"  
  
"Naturally, the restriction of wands is one of the worst travesties..."  
  
"Who are they? Toilet-face's pet gorillas?"  
  
"...Umbridge woman who's responsible..."  
  
"...who asked you, Scar-face..."  
  
"...encountering discrimination like that...Gherlach the Grim..."  
  
"...you call those freckles? It looks like someone poked holes in your face..."  
  
"...honestly, you are more qualified than half of the seventh years here..."  
  
"...don't drink any water, you might leak..."  
  
"...can't even do a simple Protean Charm..."  
  
"...got hit with a cookie-cutter, Scar-face?"  
  
Ron and Harry were rolling on the floor, tears of laughter streaming down their faces. Borlig grinned at them, and Hermione looked at them scornfully. Just then, there were several knocks on the door.  
  
Borlig prodded the Jarvey with his finger and its mouth continued to open, but it didn't make any noise.  
  
"Come in!"  
  
Professor McGonagall stepped into the room, her eyebrow raised at Harry and Ron, who were just getting up off the floor.  
  
"Ah, you must be Borlig," Professor McGonagall smiled, "I am Professor McGonagall, and I teach transfiguration here at Hogwarts, and I am also the Head of Gryffindor House. If you have any questions, you may report to me." She turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Congratulations to all of you on your O.W.L. results. Your schedules don't say it, but N.E.W.T. level classes are divided into two years, and the classes are combined with seventh years, as well as members of all other houses. Also, N.E.W.T. level students are assigned a teacher with for whom they will report for "Teacher Assistance" three times a week. You four have all been assigned to me, along with several other students. Harry, you will be having Occlumency lessons with Professor Dumbledore during the First Teacher Assistance of each week. And, if you have no questions, I should like to have some dinner!" She smiled.  
  
Harry began, "Professor, what happened at Diagon..."  
  
"Potter, all I can say right now is that the Dark Lord did not succeed in his plans." "But—"  
  
"That is all, Potter. Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Bugkle—Mr. Borga—" She sighed, "Borlig. Please go down to the Great Hall, I need to speak with Harry in private." She watched as all three exited out the portrait. Gharblag had gone to sleep in front of the fire.  
  
"Potter."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You are well on your way to becoming an Auror..."  
  
"But, Professor, how did I get into Potions?"  
  
"If Professor Snape wishes to tell you, that is his prerogative. I, however, have no business saying anything about that matter. Also, you may wish to know that the password to the Prefects Bathroom—" she suppressed a smile, "I trust you already know its location—is 'wildebeast.' But the real reason I wanted to talk to you," she said, as her eyes lit up, "is to inform you that you have been selected the Gryffindor Quidditch Team Captain for next year...Miss Bell already turned down a co-captaincy, said she wasn't much of a leader—I think our chances are splendid...and...and if I don't get something to eat soon, I am going to eat that...thing." She pointed at Gharblag. "Well, come on then, Potter."  
  
They talked about Quidditch all the way down to the Great Hall. Harry had never realized how much McGonagall knew about Quidditch. She told him about the latest additions to profession Quidditch in Britain, about the former Gryffindors who played on higher-level Quidditch teams, about some useful plays. Harry found her very easy to talk to.  
  
"Professor, were you a Quidditch player yourself?"  
  
She blushed. "Why...yes...I was a beater for Gryffindor, then the Holyhead Harpies...my position was eventually given to Junog Jones, mother of Gwenog Jones...the present Captain...A bit weak on her left backswing, but an excellent sense of what's going on around her..."  
  
Harry looked at her. "You must have been...really good! Professional Quidditch!"  
  
"Oh, hush. I am going to miss Fred and George Weasley," her smiled faded, "Excellent beaters really...Fred, of course, could do spot an Ungeran Duntfoot better than anyone...and George's right-downswing was the best I've seen at Hogwarts...I'm afraid that Misters Sloper and Kirke have a lot of work to do before getting up to scratch..." They had reached the Great Hall.  
  
"Minerva! Harry! Welcome to dinner!" cried Dumbledore, conjuring plates of food. The others at the table looked at them menacingly, as if the had considered eating them when they finally arrived in the Great Hall.  
  
Professor McGonagall winked at Harry and sat next to Dumbledore.  
  
"Harry Potter!" cried a high-pitched voice, "It is true! You is back at Hogwarts to visit Dobby!"  
  
"Erm...yes, Dobby...How are you?"  
  
"Wonderful, Sir. How is you doing?"  
  
"Fine. I think I'm going to eat, are you joining us."  
  
Dobby's eyes watered, "Eat...with you, Sir..."  
  
"I told you he would want you to dine with us, Dobby," said Dumbledore, with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Dobby is thanking Harry Potter very much," and with that, Dobby sat down next to Ron (Wheezey!) and Borlig, and began to serve himself some apple cobbler.  
  
Harry sat down in between Hermione and Hagrid and scanned the table. Professor Dumbledore was seated in between Argus Filch and Professor McGonagall, who was discussing something with Mr. Borkkleburg. Along with Mrs. Borkkleburg, there were now about twelve adult goblins at the table, and Hermione, Ron, Hagrid, Bill, Mr. Ollivander, Dobby, and Lupin.  
  
Mr. Ollivander had apparently been commenting on everyone's wands. "Yes, Miss Granger, 10 inches, chestnut, dragon heartstring...quite the wand for complicated charms..." and as he saw Harry, "and of course I remember Harry's wand..."  
  
"Hello, Harry," said Lupin, "I haven't seen you in awhile." During dinner, Harry discussed the illegal Defense Organization he had started last year.  
  
"You won't be needing any defense organization this year..." said Lupin smiling, "nor will you want any extra Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
"Why? Who's teaching it?" Harry's heart leapt. If Lupin were teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, it would be a good year indeed.  
  
"It isn't me. And that's all that I have to say about that," said Lupin mysteriously, before turning to speak with Mr. Ollivander about something.  
  
Hagrid was telling Hermione and Borlig about how Grawp had begun to learn how to garden.  
  
"He's quite good, mind you...'is squashes are the biggest I've ever seen..."  
  
But then the doors to the Great Hall swung open.  
  
Two wizards dressed in aquamarine stepped into the hall with a massive crate, nearly as tall as Hagrid. It was apparently raining outside, because they were sopping wet and the magical ceiling was now gray and overcast.  
  
"Where do you want it, Professor Dumbledore?" asked one of them nervously. They both looked at the crate with a certain amount of fear, as if it contained some horrible monster that might break out at any second.  
  
"Down the hall to the left...Follow me...Optimius...please, come with us..."  
  
At this, Mr. Ollivander got up, wipe his mouth off with a napkin, eyed Harry with his creepy pale eyes, and followed the two wizards and Dumbledore down the corridor.  
  
"Ministry wizards?" asked Hermione casually, "the Department of Mysteries, I presume?"  
  
"Very good, Hermione," said Lupin, grinning, "Right on both counts."  
  
Looking at Ron and Borlig, Harry could tell by their suspicious expressions that neither of them understood why two Unspeakables had come to Hogwarts with a monster.  
  
"Don't suppose anyone can tell us what's in the box?" asked Ron.  
  
"I'm afraid not, little bro," said Bill, grinning.  
  
"Harry, Ron," said Bill, walking over to the side wall, "Could you come over here for a second?"  
  
Bill was tall, and wore dragon hide boots and a fang-earing.  
  
"Now, I know Hermione knows this," said Bill quietly, "but it is largely up to you two to see that the Goblins at Hogwarts are treated well. They are playing a very important role in the War here, as well as in other places."  
  
"We like Borlig..." said Ron.  
  
"I know, you do," said Bill, "but there are a lot of wizards who, for various reasons, don't trust goblins at all, even to the point of hating them. Now, there are other families, the Bones family, for example, that are aware of the Goblins' importance to us. But there are others who remain ignorant, and it is your job," he pointed at them, "to be on the lookout for Anti-Goblin feelings, and to report directly to me, Professor Flitwick, or Professor McGonagall...and I suppose Professor Sprout."  
  
"How are we supposed to report it to you?" asked Ron, "you live in London..."  
  
"It won't be as hard as you think," replied Bill tersely, "Now promise me you'll..."  
  
"We will," said Harry definitely.  
  
"Very good," said Bill, grinning. "There should be about twenty goblins at Hogwarts, none of them in Slytherin, hopefully...Goblin children aren't usually ambitious..."  
  
Professor McGonagall had cleared her throat. "I think that we all have an early day tomorrow...and had best be getting some sleep."  
  
"Right, then," said Bill, "Got to get your school supplies tomorrow." Diagon Alley, thought Harry. He was finally going to be able to relax and have fun. As they headed back to the common room, Harry explained to Borlig, Hermione, and Ron what Professor McGonagall had told him.  
  
"Blimey...the Harpies!"  
  
"That is quite impressive, Harry."  
  
"Gwow. She good." Borlig grinned.  
  
"Borlig," Hermione asked, "are you coming shopping with us tomorrow?"  
  
"Gno," said Borlig, nervously, "I gmust do zomethings tomorgow. Gyes. Zo, gwhat do gyou tink gwas ghiding gin dat box," he said, changing the subject.  
  
"I dunno," said Ron, "something awful..."  
  
"What's awful in the Department of Mysteries?" asked Hermione, but she fell quiet at the look on Harry's face. He could think of several things.  
  
"Speaking of boxes..." she said brightly, "have you opened your package yet?"  
  
"No, I completely forgot, let's go..."  
  
They were at the Fat Lady. Ron started to say something, but changed his mind. "Eh...Borlig..."  
  
"Grah-ahg-deg-oo-kla-juck," he said, "Gwhat gwould gyou do gwithout gme?"  
  
They ran into the room and opened a card on top of Harry's parcel.  
  
Harry- this is the second mirror. Sirius left it at Headquarters and I think you should have it. I'm sure you'll find a good use for it. Lupin. Harry put the parcel down.  
  
"Harry, this will be dead useful," said Ron, "You can use it during class to get answers from Hermione!"  
  
"He certainly will not!" said Hermione, but she looked very flattered that she would have been the answer giver, "but Ron's right, Harry...this will be incredibly helpful..."  
  
"No it won't," said Harry, and seeing the incredulous look on Ron's face, he added, "I smashed the other mirror in my trunk last spring."  
  
"Oh, Honestly, Harry!" sighed Hermione, exasperatedly. She opened the trunk, cleared the books and clothes out of it, and pointed her wand at the fragments of mirror. "Reparo," she said, and the mirror fixed itself.  
  
"Oh. Right," said Harry, quite embarrassed.  
  
"Blimey, Hermione, where would we be without you..." said Ron, causing Hermione to turn scarlet.  
  
They had begun to test the mirror out, one person standing in the common room and the others in the dormitory, until the angry head of Professor McGonagall showed itself in the fireplace and told them they had better get some sleep immediately.  
  
They woke up the next morning, said goodbye to Borlig, who was making something that smelled quite like a stagnant pond in the dormitory, and headed downstairs to the Great Hall to find Professor McGonagall already dressed and standing at attention.  
  
"Book list, everyone?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
"Excellent," she said, and then added sadly, "Borlig decided not to come?" They nodded again. "Poor dear," she said, "can't blame him, though..."  
  
Lupin, Bill, and Mr. Ollivander had come downstairs and beckoned Harry, Hermione and Ron to come with them. They waved good-bye to Professor McGonagall, who made breakfast baskets appear in each of their arms, and set off across the yard toward the lake.  
  
"Eh...how are we getting there, anyway?" asked a puzzled Ron.  
  
Lupin grinned, "Mr. Ollivander has kindly agreed to let us use his...vehicles."  
  
"Ooh! What are they, then?" asked Hermione eagerly. But her question was answered when three beautiful chestnut horses came into view. Winged horses, that is.  
  
"They're beautiful!" shrieked Hermione. Harry had to agree with her. The horses that stood before them were very majestic indeed.  
  
"Aethonans," said Mr. Ollivander proudly, "not a better horse in the country."  
  
"Well then," said Bill, "hop on."  
  
Hermione hopped onto the smallest horse. Her face flushed deepest scarlet as Bill hopped onto it behind her and he put his arms around her, and took off.  
  
Harry and Lupin had picked the medium-sized one, leaving Ron and Mr. Ollivander on the biggest horse. Harry could tell that Ron was quite nervous about this, as he kept glancing awkwardly at Mr. Ollivander's pale eyes.  
  
"Wait'll you see how fast Samantha can go," grinned Mr. Ollivander. And sure enough, Samantha was quite the fastest thing Harry had ever seen; she had flown into the horizon in a chestnut blur.  
  
"Let's go then, Dorcas." And Dorcas the Aethonan took off after Samantha, wings flapping.  
  
They all arrived in grassy pasture that was apparently magically fit on the roof of Ollivander's Wand Shop. He put the horses into their stables, and headed downstairs. He wished them goodbye.  
  
"Nice to see all of you again...Ah...looking for a wand; you've come to the right place," he exclaimed turning to a rather disturbed looking first year girl with long blonde hair.  
  
Lupin, Bill, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stepped out into Diagon Alley. Harry immediately noticed a difference from the last time he had been here. There were no displays outside the shops anymore, and wizards sped down the street in large groups, checking frequently over their shoulders.  
  
"Bit quiet, isn't it..." observed Ron.  
  
"Come on, everyone! First stop, Gringotts!" said Bill, rather happily. And the sped off toward the snowy white building that was Gringotts Wizarding Bank.  
  
Harry was pleased that he could now recognize some basic goblin words as the bankers spoke amongst themselves. "Spahg!" he said to a passing Goblin, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow and continued walking.  
  
"Hello is Spahg," he said, seeing that Ron had his eyebrow raised.  
  
"Not too friendly, are they..."  
  
"BILL!" cried a heavily accented female voice. It was not, however, as heavily accented as it had been the last time Harry heard it. He turned around to see Fleur Delacour running into Bill Weasley's arms and kissing him repeatedly. Hermione bit her lips rather hard. Fleur turned towards Harry and his friends.  
  
"Hello, 'Arry!" she smiled, "we meet again!"  
  
"Ronald," she grinned at Ron, "Nice to zee you!"  
  
And she turned to Hermione, "Aren't you Viktor's friend... I zaw him zee ozzer day, you know!" Hermione blushed.  
  
As Hermione, Fleur and Bill discussed Viktor Krum, Harry's eyes turned toward an old bronze door he had never noticed before. Above it, on the lintel in dark blue letters, were the words "Hall of Records."  
  
"Ron..." said Harry, "that's where Voldemort wanted to get into..." Ron flinched at the name.  
  
"Really...why?"  
  
Lupin had noticed them looking at the door and he came over. "That's the Gringotts Hall of Records," he told them, "It stores all sorts of information about every Gringotts customer in history. Quite fascinating really, I've never been in their myself..." "Well, why don't we all take a peak," said Bill, "don't open any of the folders though, or old Griphook will eat us for lunch."  
  
"Yez, but quickly," added Fleur, "zee Goblins do not like uz in zer."  
  
Bill tapped the door with his wand, and it flung open. Harry had never seen so much paper in his life. Hermione looked as if Christmas had come early.  
  
"Oh..my..." she said running in, "here's McGonagall's file...and Flitwick's...Newt Scamander...Harry, here's yours...and..." she stopped and looked at the folder.  
  
Harry peered at it. "JAMES AND LILY POTTER/PETUNIA EVANS" read the folder. Harry swallowed.  
  
"She and my mum must've had a split account before she left..."  
  
But Ron yelled, "It's Dumbledore's! and....Fudge's...please, can we burn it? And Umbridge...no let's burn that one..."  
  
Hermione continued. "Nicolas Flamel...Griselda Marchbanks...Madam Malkins...Billius Weasley, Ron!"  
  
But Ron seemed more interested in the Chudley Cannons hall of fame. "Bliggo Wartok...Grogan Lenin...Jo Mittman...she plays for the Peruvian Protists, now....Blimey!"  
  
Lupin and Bill were chuckling over some names on the west wall when Fleur gasped. "Bill, eet is the founders of 'Ogwarts!"  
  
Harry checked the folders... "GODRIC GRYFFINDOR" "HELGA HUFFLEPUFF" "ROWENA RAVENCLAW" But there was no Salazar Slytherin...  
  
"That's strange..."  
  
"Blimey, folks, we better get out of here..." said Bill nervously. They left the Hall of Records and a Goblin came up to each of them with a bag of money. "Thanks for choosing Gringotts," said the Goblin.  
  
As they left Gringotts, they said goodbye to Fleur and Bill. "I'll be seeing you soon," said Bill, grinning.  
  
They stopped by the Apothecary for Hermione and Harry to buy their silver cauldrons. "Can't say that I envy you..." said Ron.  
  
They entered Flourish and Blotts, which was a small bookstore. As the friendly salesclerk helped them select their text books, which combined, weighed 40 bounds for each person (Hermiones weighed 75), Harry browsed through some other books about Defense Against the Dark Arts. As he fingered through "The Secrets of the Imperius Curse", a very elderly wizard with a cane tapped him on the back and said, "That's a great one...specially with times like they are...but if you're really interested in all of the Unforgivable Curses and their theories...get "Bind, Torture, Kill" by Wichita Carson. It's very good, with diagrams, and everything."  
  
"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll get it, then." He actually very much appreciated the wizened wizard's help. As he turned to join the group, Hermione was begging Lupin to lighten her load for her.  
  
"I don't know, Hermione," he teased, "you might need that arm strength to break the shackles of house-elf enslavement."  
  
Even Hermione laughed at that. And as Harry left Flourish and Blotts with his favorite people in the world, Harry wished that summer would never end. 


	8. The Parade of Armor

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 7: The Armor Parade  
  
"Thought you wouldn't come see us, mates?" came a voice from behind them.  
  
"No, Fred, I reckon they were too busy snooping in our financial records..." said George Weasley.  
  
"Fred! George!" cried Ron. Harry studied them. Fred was wearing a bright pink suit, and George was wearing the same in lime green. Both had patches on the shoulder that read, "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes." Hermione giggled.  
  
"Well, how's 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'?" asked Hermione.  
  
"You don't know?" asked George with a look of mock incredulity, "We thought for sure you'd know just how much money was in our Gringotts account."  
  
Even Hermione laughed. "Oy! Professor Lupin! Check these 'Voodoo Who-do's" out. They're brand new, we thought you might get a kick out of them." And George pulled a small stuffed woman out of his pocket, dressed in a pink cardigan and a stuffed man in a lime green bowler's hat, who looked suspiciously like his former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and the former Minister of Magic.  
  
"Watch this," said a grinning Fred, who pinched the lady doll's hand. The doll's eyes began to bulge, and her mouth thinned until she turned into a pink bullfrog, before finally exploding into a blast of pink confetti. The Fudge-doll did a similar trick, disappearing into his hat and flying out again as a dove, that eventually fell to the ground and turned into a puddle of green water.  
  
"Our targets are Hogwarts, alumni and Order Members, of course," added George.  
  
Lupin beemed. "Let's see the shop, then."  
  
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was fluorescent yellow shop, and the letter's flashed lime green and pink. Around 50 young wizards (and some adults, too) were in and around the small shop, grabbing fake wands, Canary Creams, and stocking up on Skiving Snackboxes for the upcoming school year. They all pushed their way inside. ("Owners coming through! Move!") At the back of the shop, was Mundungus Fletcher, looking quite strange in an acid yellow suit.  
  
"Lo, Harry, Ronald, 'Mine, Remus!" and turning to Fred, "We'll need some more Hic-cupcakes by tomorrow!" and turning to a door behind them, "Angie! Spinny! get us some Cheating Chesspieces...Mrs. Dorkens wants a whole set..."  
  
Harry turned to Fred to ask him who 'Angie' and 'Spinny' were, but just then two former members of Harry's Quidditch team, Alicia Spinnet (neon blue dress) and Angelina Johnson (shocking orange) came out with boxes of Cheating Chesspieces. "Fred!" screamed Angelina, "If we have to man the store while you two go strolling down the alley ONE MORE TIME!" She saw Harry and the rest. "Harry, nice to see you. Ron. Hermione. Professor Lupin, Long time, no see! Excuse me, but I've got—Fred and George have got a lot of work to do.  
  
"Eh...well," said George, and pulling his wand out, "FINITE VENDUM!" The store locked itself up, display cases sinking into the ground and items vanishing into the walls.  
  
"All right, everyone," said Fred, "Lunch time! SO GET OUT!" And the crowd, cursing, retreated outside. Old Mrs. Dorkens, however, hit Fred with a Jumping Jinx, and George laughed as he bounced around the street, before Mrs. Dorkens gave him a Hopping Hex of his own to worry about. It seemed that she had wanted several more sets of Cheating Chesspieces, and some Poker Glasses.  
  
Lupin laughed, but not harder than Angelina and Alicia, who simply yelled, "Some work'll do you both good!" nor Mundungus, who had fallen on the ground with laughter. After a few minutes, Lupin performed the counter- jinxes and set Fred and George back to normal, although looking rather disconcerted. Alicia giggled and kissed George on the cheek, causing him to blush.  
  
They ate lunch at the Leaky Cauldron along with (it seemed) half the wizards in the country. It was so crowded that several groups had made their tables hover near the ceiling to make more space. They all sat beneath a chatty group of witches who were sharing their theories about recent events.  
  
"I won't put a toe in Diurn Alley these days—not a single toe!"  
  
"Those poor people...Albus Dumbledore's brother...Ludo Bagman...a fabulous beater..."  
  
"I reckon You-Know-Who's trying to stop magical education. He killed the Headmaster of Durmstrang and our Headmaster's brother..."  
  
"I doubt it, really Edna...if you ask me the target was the Egyptians..."  
  
"...I'll bet it was Mr. Tennydine, he killed a Death Eater last time round..."  
  
"...and those poor little girls..."  
  
The witches continued on, and the list of possible targets grew.  
  
"Why don't they ever mention the sixteen dead goblins?" asked Hermione angrily.  
  
"Some people don't think they're important," replied Lupin, sadly.  
  
"Well...there are six more dead goblins than wizards..." observed Ron.  
  
"Ron, wasn't Bill in Egypt?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Yah, I wonder if he knew those wizards..."  
  
"He did," said Fred, "they were visiting him."  
  
"Three of his friends," added George, "Dumbledore needed international cooperation...Charlie has been recruiting Romanian wizards to the cause daily..."  
  
Lupin added, "When the Egyptians were killed, several Egyptian wizards joined the Order."  
  
They finished lunch on a high note, for Harry at least, when Mundungus said, "That Malfoy bloke's still in jail, though, that's something."  
  
They parted ways with Fred, Angelina, George, Alicia, and Mundungus and headed towards Ollivander's.  
  
"I sure am glad Mundungus found some sort of acceptable work," said Lupin.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione flew back to Hogwarts on two of Mr. Ollivander's Aethonans. Hermione and Lupin, riding on Samantha, discussed the Hall of Records, while Ron and Harry, riding on the smallest horse, Torque, listened in, flying side by side.  
  
"Fascinating...the information in there..."  
  
"...Full of secrets...and ..."  
  
"I'd love to look around..."  
  
Harry cleared his voice... "Eh...Professor, what kind of information is kept in there..."  
  
Lupin yelled from Samantha, "Oh, probably Financial Records, Genealogical Papers, Birth Certificates, things like that. But very few people actually know."  
  
They continued to discuss the Hall of Records, Goblins, and Quidditch (to Hermione's unabashed disappointment) all the way back to Hogwarts. They landed on the lawn just in time to see Professor McGonagall, who had walked out to meet them.  
  
"Hello, everyone. How was Diagon Alley?" she asked. And Hermione burst into the story of the Hall of Records. McGonagall was fascinated. "You went in? Oh...just to see the names," she said enviously, "I may have to pay Bill Weasley a visit...He owes his old Head of House a favor, I'd say..." She smiled. "Oh, Remus, you and I are to fly the horses back to Diagon Alley, and stop at Hildebrand's...Dumbledore's orders." She turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "You three," she said, "should head into the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore would like you to try his Yorkshire Pudding. Being Prefects, and also in order to keep your stay here a secret, you will travel to London on the 1st of September and ride the Hogwarts Express back to school. Remember, it is a secret that you three have been here. And I'll see you on September 1st." The said goodbye to she and Lupin before heading into the Great Hall to talked to update those there about their day at Diagon Alley.  
  
They spent the remainder of the term visiting Hagrid's cabin quite frequently. Hagrid also took great interest in Gharblag, and they spent numerous hours training him to call Draco Malfoy an albino snotrag.  
  
Harry woke up on July 31st to find fireworks bursting all around his bed, and a poster hovering above him that read, "Happy Birthday, Harry." There was a pile of presents in the middle of the dormitory, and Hermione, Borlig, and Ron were gathered at the foot of his bed.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Harry!"  
  
"Sixteen, mate..."  
  
"Ghappy Birtday!"  
  
"Thank you all."  
  
"Well open your presents, then!"  
  
First Harry opened Ron's gift: A new Quidditch playbook that simulated a defense against your plays.  
  
"I reckon that'll be useful, mate," grinned Ron. Harry returned his smile. Hermione had gotten him something very useful: The Potions Ring of Error. Normally blue, it glowed red whenever a mistake was made a mistake in potionmaking.  
  
"Blimey...that's useful...where'd you get it?" asked Ron.  
  
"I'm not telling," said Hermione, "and the only reason I've given it to Harry is because Professor Snape is openly biased against him."  
  
Borlig had given Harry a guidebook for basic Jarvey training, and Harry was very amused to open it up to a page that showed a Jarvey imitating the way someone flew a broomstick poorly.  
  
"Thanks, Borlig,"  
  
"Gno Problem, Garry." When they arrived in the Great Hall for Breakfast, Harry was nearly knocked over by Hedwig, who must have missed him greatly.  
  
"Hello, Hedwig," he said stroking her, "What's that you've got?"  
  
He took a parcel off of her feet. It was from Aunt Petunia. He read the letter.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I'm sorry I sprung all of that on you. Hope you made it to Hogwarts safely. I have enclosed your first decent gift from your Uncle Vernon and I. Hope you enjoy it! I've also included a picture of your mother and I, with our parents.  
  
Aunt Petunia  
  
Harry looked at the picture. It was non-magical, and the images stood still, but it still meant a great deal to Harry to be able to see his Grandparents without the Mirror of Erised, which he had encountered during his first year. Harry immediately noticed how happy Aunt Petunia looked. She was about 10, but unmistakably Petunia. And Harry's Mother...  
  
"Everyone's right about your eyes, Harry," said Hermione.  
  
"It's like I'm looking at you..."  
  
"Glet me zee," said Borlig, "Down ghere."  
  
Harry stooped down to give Borlig a view. But Borlig didn't look at the picture, he looked at Harry. "Gyou...Gyou's Garry Potter!" he exclaimed as the realization came across his face.  
  
"G-I gam zo zorry, Garry," added Borlig, "Git's ghard tah zee down ghere..."  
  
Harry wasn't at all upset. "It's fine, Borlig." He looked at the picture again. Harry's maternal grandfather was very tall and very bald. He had a very long black moustache, and a very merry smile; his green eyes were the same as Harry's. His grandmother had short curly red hair and a sweet smile. She was shorter than his grandfather and had brown eyes. Harry's blood boiled when he thought of them being murdered by Lord Voldemort. He ripped open the package. Inside was a pair of new shoes, and a green sweater.  
  
"'Arry!" yelled Hagrid, "'appy birthday!" He came over to give Harry his gift, which was a beautiful blue, water-resistant robe. "Thanks, Hagrid." Hagrid beemed. "You'll be finding that pretty useful before long..." Harry looked at Hagrid curiously. The last time Hagrid had said that, his textbook had attempted to eat him.  
  
They sat down to eat breakfast and were soon joined by Dumbledore, Bill, and Mr. Filch, who glared at them with a look that plainly said, "They're multiplying."  
  
"What are you doing back here, Bill? Order business again?" asked Ron.  
  
"Erm...sortof." Ron shrugged.  
  
Hermione looked at him, "You won't be teaching us, will you?" She bit her hip, clearly signifying that she would very much like to see Bill Weasley and his fanged earring on a regular basis.  
  
"Nope, I'm afraid not," replied Bill coolly.  
  
Just then the doors to the great hall swung open and several trunks were being marched in by a brigade of Suits of Armor.  
  
Ron had seemingly forgotten about the food he was holding, and his cereal was spilling onto his lap. He looked extremely confused by this.  
  
"I wonder who that could be," said Professor Dumbledore, smiling in such a fashion that it was apparent to Harry that there was no doubt in Dumbledore's mind who was marching the Suits down the hall, and onto the west stairway.  
  
A tiny old wizard hobbled in on his cane after the last Suits had entered the building. He was bobbing his wand up and down to the beat of the march. Harry was sure he had seen him before.  
  
"Tiberius, good to see you!" cried Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"Ah! Albus...it's wonderful to be back at Hogwarts again..." said Tiberius.  
  
"Won't you join us for some breakfast?" asked Dumbledore politely.  
  
"Don't mind if I do," said Tiberius. And he conjured a red armchair right in the middle of the Great Hall, before looking at Dumbledore menacingly.  
  
"Why didn't he just conjure one at the table?" whispered Hermione curiously.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. He flicked his wand and a fluffy orange loveseat appeared right on top of the red armchair. Tiberius flicked again—a purple sofa stood vertically on top of the loveseat. This continued for about five minutes—poor Ron hadn't taken a bite of cereal once without spilling it all over himself.  
  
Finally, Tiberius conjured a small pink stool on top of the pile of chairs that was now nearly five stores high, and it came crumbling down, leaving chairs strewn all over the Great Hall. Dumbledore and Tiberius seemed to find this extremely amusing, for as Dumbledore wiped a tear of laughter from his cheek he said, "I haven't play that for years."  
  
They both sat down at the staff table, while everyone stared at them.  
  
Ron broke the silence. "What..." he asked bewildered, "was that?"  
  
Tiberius chuckled. "It's an old game we used to play at Hogwarts...it's called Chairs."  
  
Ron raised his eyebrow and made a very strange expression as he looked at his robes in disgust.  
  
"Scourgify," said Hermione lazily, as the mess on Ron's robes vanished.  
  
"Where are my manners," said Dumbledore, "Harry, Ron, Hermione...meet Professor Ogden, who will be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Professor Ogden bowed. Harry had a very brief and very ridiculous vision of Professor Ogden inviting a Death Eater to play Chairs with him instead of fight. Ron looked as though he had just seen Professor Snape ride a dragon through the Great Hall.  
  
"Erm...nice to meet, you..." said Ron, "I'm Ronald Weasley."  
  
"Yes...I know your father...excellent man..."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Professor," said Hermione, trying very hard to be extremely polite, "My name is Hermione Granger."  
  
"Heard of you, also...not many fifteen year olds who can do a Protean Charm...very impressive..."  
  
Hermione's face reddened so quickly that she had to concentrate very intently on the milk pitcher.  
  
"Wait a minute," said Harry, "You helped me pick out that 'Bind, Torture, Kill' book! I'm Harry Potter..."  
  
"Nice to meet you formally, Mr. Potter...Now, will you all be taking Defense Against the Dark Arts next year?"  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "All of the students here will be taking Defense Against the Dark Arts, naturally."  
  
"Of course," said Professor Ogden.  
  
As Ogden and Dumbledore continued to talk and giggle, apparently about their years at Hogwarts, Bill quietly told Borlig, Hagrid, Ron, Hermione, and Harry that Professor Ogden was apparently the person who trains Aurors.  
  
"Of course, since no one had been taken on in the last four years..."  
  
After breakfast, Mr. Filch left to take Professor Ogden to his new room, while Professor Dumbledore and Bill headed off into a different area of the castle.  
  
"Well...what do you think?" asked Hermione nervously.  
  
"He's a bit mad..." said Ron, who hadn't removed his eyes from a moose- patterned lawn chair that was lying upside down near the staff table.  
  
"Well, maybe he's a bit touched, but I've 'eard he's brilliant...Trained our own Professor Lupin, mind you..." said Hagrid.  
  
"Ghe gould be very differnt gin class..." said Borlig sagely.  
  
But the fact that he had taught Lupin raised Harry's opinion of him significantly.  
  
The rest of the summer was rather uneventful, with the exception of one mysterious day in mid-August. Harry and Hermione had gotten up early to investigate Professor Ogden's room while Ron and Borlig played with Gharblag.  
  
They were on a stairway leading to the third floor when they heard what sounded like a large crowd of talking people approaching them. Suddenly, a handful of ghosts appeared out of the wall next to them.  
  
"Nick!" said Harry and Hermione at once.  
  
"Where have you been?" asked Hermione, "We haven't seen any of you all summer." Harry recognized four of the ghosts as the Ghosts of the Four Houses: Gryffindor's Nearly Headless Nick, Ravenclaw's Grey Lady, Slytherin's Bloody Baron (he had silver stains on his front), and Hufflepuff's Fat Friar.  
  
"Harry! Miss Granger! How nice to see you one last time!" exclaimed Nick.  
  
"But where are you going?" asked a puzzled Harry.  
  
"We are leaving this world, Harry," said Nick, "Our time has come." He looked at Harry and Hermione sadly, but smiled again.  
  
The Grey Lady, a tall ghost with waist-length hair, said in a singsong voice, "I heard a student in my house discussing the Passageway."  
  
The Fat Friar added, "While Nick and the Baron and the Lady were in London searching for it, I discovered that it had been moved to Hogwarts." Nick continued, "Many of the ghosts have already left. I am proud to finally be free of this life, but I will certainly miss you two, and all of the students here." He sighed. "It's time I conquered Death."  
  
"Has Peeves left already?" asked Harry.  
  
The hard, Pirate-like voice of the Bloody Baron answered him. "Peeves will come with me, because...well, Peeves is a part of me." Seeing the looks of puzzlement on Harry's and Hermione's faces, he added. "When a murderer or violent criminal becomes a ghost...their menacing side leaves them and forms it's own spirit...a Poltergeist. Peeves was a summation of my mischief. He wasn't really a murderous or violent poltergeist...but he was mischievous, like I was..."  
  
Hermione looked as if she was trying to memorize this and very much wished she could have been taking notes.  
  
"Nick, is that Dr. Potter's son?"  
  
Nick beemed. "He is, indeed. In Gryffindor, just like his parents."  
  
"You look like your Parents..." said the Bloody Baron, and the Grey Lady and the Fat Friar nodded fervently.  
  
"Spitting image of James..." said the Lady.  
  
"Lily's eyes," added the Friar.  
  
"Well, then, Harry, Hermione...It was very nice knowing you...I won't forget you...Goodbye." Nick looked as happy as he had ever been in his life.  
  
"Bye, Nick!" said Harry and Hermione. It was both sad and happy to see the four ghosts float through another wall, never to be seen at Hogwarts again. 


	9. The Second Seer

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 9: The Second Seer  
  
"But how do they just leave?" Ron asked incredulously.  
  
"I dunno...but they left. Haven't you noticed they were gone?" Hermione replied.  
  
"Have they ever said they wanted to leave before?" asked Borlig.  
  
"Nick seemed to really regret becoming a ghost last spring," said Harry, recalling the conversation he had with the Gryffindor ghost, and noticing a wad of paper in Ron's hand he added, "What's that, Ron?"  
  
"Oh! Right..." said Ron, unfolding the wad of paper, "Read this..."  
  
Ogden's Old-fashioned Firewhiskey  
  
18 sickles a bottle. Brewed from the recipe vault of the Tiberius ogden family.  
  
See other Ogden's Old-fashioned Products: Ogden's Old-fashioned Sherbet Lemon.  
  
Hermione's eyes scanned the paper, her eyes widening. "Do you mean to say...that our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher...is...some sort of alcohol- brewer...who...plays with FURNITURE?"  
  
"Pretty much," said Ron, "It's like a dream come true..."  
  
Harry laughed, but Hermione silenced him with a withering look. "Ron, this isn't funny....Defense Against the Dark Arts is really important stuff...what was Dumbledore thinking?"  
  
"He does train Aurors, though..." said Harry, "and you've got to be really good to do that..."  
  
Hermione grunted, "It's not as if the Ministry has a perfect record on employee decisions..."  
  
It was a good point. Harry noticed that Borlig was digging in his trunk madly.  
  
"What are you doing, Borlig?"  
  
"Ah! here it is...I knew g-I'd heard his name before...here Hermione..."  
  
Hermione scanned the article as Harry and Ron read it over her shoulder. It was an article about two wizards, Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden, resigning in protest of the Ministry's appointment of Delores Umbridge as "The Hogwarts High Inquisitor."  
  
"Well, we know he's on our side then..." observed Ron.  
  
"Well, so is Mundungus Fletcher...and Dedalus Diggle..." said Hermione tersely.  
  
"Well," said Harry, still unsure about Professor Ogden, "he can't be much worse than Umbridge..."  
  
On the evening of August 31st, Nymphadora Tonks (who preferred to be called by her surname only) came to pick up Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Borlig had declined their invitation to go with them.  
  
"Hey Tonks!" they cried as she walked into the Great Hall.  
  
"Wotcher, you three..." she looked exhausted, "GET IN HERE, NOW!" All three of them jumped when she yelled. In hobbled Kreacher, the disgusting, ancient house-elf who used to belong to Harry's godfather, Sirius Black.  
  
"What's he doing here?" asked Harry angrily. Kreacher had told Harry that Sirius was in the Ministry of Magic, a lie which eventually resulted in Sirius's death.  
  
"He's tried escaping twelve times already this summer. Dumbledore says I'm the only one who can take him, being in the family, that can prevent him from escaping." Harry knew that the reason Kreacher couldn't be allowed to escape is that he knew many secrets of the Order of the Phoenix. Harry's blood boiled. It was Kreacher's fault that Sirius was dead, it was Kreacher's fault that he didn't have a godfather anymore.  
  
"Kreacher's new mistress has taken away from his home. Kreacher knows that she'll rot in prison, the traitorous wench..." Kreacher muttered to himself quite audibly, clearly under the impression that no one else could hear him. Ron snorted.  
  
"How're we getting to London, then, Tonks?" asked Hermione nervously, noticing that Harry looked very much like lit fuse.  
  
Tonks looked embarrassed, but Harry knew it wasn't her fault she had to take Kreacher. Sirius and Tonks had been cousins, it was probably hard on her too. But she didn't have to watch him die...she wasn't his godson...came a voice from inside Harry's head. He quickly shook the voice off, as Tonks said, "We're traveling by coach. And she opened the door and pointed outside to a green stagecoach pulled by some kind of gray animal...  
  
"BUCKBEAK!" yelled Ron.  
  
"Yes, Ron," said Tonks, "Dumbledore has removed the warrant from him...he's going to continue to live at Grimmauld Place. He's an incredibly useful watch—thing."  
  
Hagrid had heard Ron yell "Buckbeak" and had run across the Great Hall to see him.  
  
"Oh, Bucky!" Hagrid cried, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I though' I'd never see yer again!" He ran over the Hippogriff, bowed, and proceeded to give it a great hug. They all spent several minutes chatting while Hagrid played fetch with Buckbeak and Kreacher busied himself by dusting the leftover furniture from "Chairs" at Tonks's orders. Hermione looked a bit affronted by Kreacher's labor, but didn't say anything for Harry's sake.  
  
When it was time to go, Hagrid said goodbye to Buckbeak, and they all climbed into the green stagecoach. It was quite cozy inside, with a tea table and a chandelier. Tonks tapped her wand against the side of the stagecoach, muttered an incantation, and said, "Load-Lightening Charm." Hermione asked how to do it, and Tonks, Hermione, Harry, and Ron practiced it the entire way to London. Ron giggled as they played catch with the chandelier as though it were a balloon. Tonks also assured them that Tiberius Ogden was an excellent teacher.  
  
"You'll learn loads," she said, tossing the chandelier back to Ron. Hermione remained unconvinced.  
  
When they got to London, Tonks forced Kreacher into a large blue handbag, before transforming herself into an eldery old witch dressed completely in blue, with a large blue bonnet. It was nearly 1 o'clock in the morning when they landed in an old street, so Tonks transfigured Buckbeak into a regular horse, and they trotted off to the Leaky Cauldron, where Tom the barkeeper greeted them and showed them their rooms. Everyone said their goodbyes, before Tonks hopped back into the Carriage and they sped off to 12 Grimmauld Place, the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.  
  
They awoke the next morning at 9: 00, got dressed, had breakfast, and were picked up by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley at 10:15 to be taken to the Kings Cross.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were accompanied by their youngest, Ginny, and a car had been provided by the ministry for their transportation to Kings Cross. The Ministry must have been a lot friendlier to Mr. Weasley ever since Fudge left, because this year, they rode to the train station in a large, black sports-utility vehicle, complete with a bathroom and a kitchenette. Mr. Weasley looked very pleased indeed. Ron, like Harry, seemed to notice it as well.  
  
"Dad, what're you so pleased about?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing, really," he said with such a wide grin that Harry was quite sure that he hadn't even convinced himself. They arrived at Kings Cross at 10:40, put their things onto carts, and set off toward the barrier in between platforms 9 and 10. Hedwig attracted much attention as she squawked when Hermione got out of the car.  
  
"Oh! I've left Crookshanks at..."  
  
"Hermione, there you are!" said a middle-aged woman dressed in medical clothes. She was clutching a great orange cat, with some difficulty.  
  
"Mum! Oh, thank you!" cried Hermione, grabbing Crookshanks and giving her mother a hug.  
  
"You've met Harry, and Ron, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and their daughter Ginny," said Hermioned, and each of them bowed in turn.  
  
"Yes. We met a few years back shopping for Hermione's school things," said Mrs. Granger. Mrs. Granger, harry noticed didn't have bushy hair, like her daughter did. She had a short, straight haircut, and rather large front teeth. Mrs. Granger said hello to everyone, and then explained that she had left Mr. Granger with fifteen patients, and needed to get back to work.  
  
"Well, we'd better be going then," said Mrs. Weasley, "we don't want to be late, now."  
  
So they walked through the barrier: Ginny and Hermione first, followed by Harry and Ron, and finally Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They crossed into platform 9 ¾ and found the Hogwarts Express, a red engine, blowing steam and whistling. Harry saw, a few feet to his left, Draco Malfoy and his mother, Narcissa, talking to each other. She was blond, and rather tall, with a morose demeanor. Draco looked malevolently and Harry out of the corners of his eyes, and Mrs. Malfoy must have noticed, because she turned around, and to Harry's great surprise, approached him. Harry became quite nervous and grabbed Ron's arm. Ron turned around to see Mrs. Malfoy approaching them and his facial expression changed to puzzlement, as Draco tried to pull his mother back. Mrs. Malfoy's eyes had begun to water, and she looked quite disheveled.  
  
"You...you...took my husband away from us! You and your bloody friends...we're without a source of income, with a provider...YOU RIPPED OUR FAMILY APART...BUT YOU'LL-YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" By now, nearly everyone in the platform turned to face the raging woman. Harry and Ron were horrified, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley ushered Harry and Ron away.  
  
"YOU'LL PAY..."  
  
Hermione joined them, having been talking to several other prefects. "We're supposed to meet on the first coach for instructions from the Head Boy and Girl." And as Mrs. Malfoy went out of earshot, "What on earth was that about?"  
  
"No idea," said Harry.  
  
"She's off her rocker, all right," added Ron. "Hey, you three," said a familiar voice from behind them. They turned around to face Lee Jordan, the former Quidditch commentator and long-time friend of Fred and George Weasley. He was dressed in what was presumably his electric purple uniform for "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."  
  
"I've got to work in an hour," he added as they noticed his uniform, "had to drop Marcus off for his first day of school." A small, scared looking wizard stepped around from behind Lee and smiled feebly.  
  
"Hello, Marcus," said Ron, "I'm Ron and these are my friends Harry and Hermione."  
  
"Ron is Fred and George's little brother," added Lee.  
  
"You'll do fine," said Hermione, "I'll be sure of that." Marcus seemed more confident at Hermione's words of encouragement.  
  
"Blimey, you all had better get onto the train! It's nearly eleven!" cried Lee, "Marcus, go with Hermione to your cabin. Good luck, little bro!"  
  
Hermione, Harry, and Ron led Marcus to a cabin with several other nervous- looking first years in it, and wished him goodbye and good luck.  
  
"He'll be in Gryffindor, won't he?" asked Harry.  
  
"Didn't seem very brave though, did he?" said Ron.  
  
"Oh, honestly Ron, we were all just as nervous as he is," snapped Hermione.  
  
They entered the first coach to find the prefects already there. At once, Harry felt very grateful that Hermione and Ron had left this place to be with him the last year. The room was a violent shade of purple, with silver and gold linings, and thirty-two of the most comfortable-looking chairs Harry had ever seen. Eight were red, adorned with lions, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way to sit down next to Ginny, who was also apparently a prefect.  
  
"Ron! Why didn't you tell us?" asked Hermione, giving Ginny a hug.  
  
"Forgot," muttered Ron sheepishly.  
  
Colin Creevey was the other fifth-year prefect. There were also three Gryffindor seventh years seated in the red chairs, Katie Bell being one of them. In front of the red chairs were eight blue ones, adorned with an eagle. Harry recognized several prefects from the lot as former D.A. (the illegal defense organization they created last year): Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot, Padma Patil. The only empty blue chair was the large throne on the inner aisle, at the front row. Across from it was a very large yellow chair adorned with a badger, one of eight. Harry also recognized D.A. members (Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbot) from the group. Behind the Hufflepuffs' yellow chairs were eight green ones, all filled with nasty looking Slytherins, including Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, and Draco Malfoy (who was looking at Harry with utmost detestation).  
  
"He won't say anything today," said Hermione, glaring at the Slytherins, "especially after his mother's outburst."  
  
"And he hasn't got Crabbe and Goyle with him, the coward," sneered Ron, "I wonder if they got lost, forgot to come on the train without him."  
  
Harry laughed. "Who are those chairs for?"  
  
"The Head Boy and Girl, they're making sure everyone gets onto the train," said Hermione, knowingly.  
  
"Who are—" began Harry, but his question was answered for his as the Head Boy and Girl entered the cabin. The Head Boy strutted in very pompously, saying, "Badges on at all times, Prefects" quite haughtily.  
  
"Zacharias Smith," muttered Harry. Although Zacharias was in the D.A. last year, Harry had always thought he was very arrogant and didn't care for him too much. Ron scowled. The Head Girl turned around and Harry recognized her as Cho Chang, his romantic interest from the year before. She noticed Harry and blushed.  
  
"Firstly," said Zacharias Smith. "I have performed a Protean Charm on your Prefects' badges." He paused, seemingly to allow people to gasp in astonishment. When no one said anything, he continued, "They will glow when it is your turn to patrol the cabins. Please prevent misconduct of any kind, and inform them when we are within ten minutes of Hogwarts. Cho."  
  
Cho pulled her eyes off Harry, and began, "Secondly, fifth year Prefects are to escort the first years up to the common rooms after the feast."  
  
Zacharias Smith continued, this time in a rather pathetic attempt at looking and sounding so grave that people would begin to shake. "Thirdly," he said, and looked around over-dramatically (Harry was strongly reminded of Professor Trelawney), "Professor Dumbledore has opted to have three prefects for the sixth and seventh years. This is because he feels that there is need for more safety this year." He was quite obviously waiting for someone to ask what the nature of the threat was. Still, no one said anything, and he continued, affronted. "I don't what the threat is, but he is going to issue a most severe warning this evening in the Great Hall." This time, several prefects looked around at each other and whispered nervously. Zacharias Smith looked extremely pleased, but then returned to his overly grave voice. "Calm down, everyone," he warned, although the whispering had already subsided. "Cho."  
  
"Fourthly, the password to the Prefects' bathroom is 'Fruity Bats.' The password to the Prefects' lounge is 'Galloping Gargoyle.'" Harry noticed that Cho wasn't very excited at all about her new duties as Head Girl. She looked like someone to be pitied, someone who didn't want to be there at all.  
  
"Fifthly," said Zacharias Smith, "Prefects are reminded that they may only dock points from their own houses. The Head Boy and Head Girl, on the other hand, may dock points from any house. Cho. Cho."  
  
Cho pulled herself out of her thoughts. "Sixthly, and perhaps most importantly," said Cho, "Hogwarts is going to be hosting guests this year. It is Professor Dumbledore's wish that the guests be treated with respect, and that if a Prefect sees disrespect for the guests, to notify a Professor immediately." Several people nodded at this.  
  
Ron leaned into Harry, "They might change their tone when they find out who the guests are..." he whispered very softly.  
  
"Ehem," said Zacharias Smith, "That concludes your instruction. Please spend fifteen minutes patrolling the train when your badge glows." And with that he sat down in the Yellow Throne and Cho sat down in the Blue Throne.  
  
The first people to leave for patrol were Zacharias, Ginny, and Draco. Ginny said she would be back to talk to them after patrol duty, but she would likely talk to Dean for a while first. Ron scowled. After ten minutes of broken discussion, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie Macmillan approached Harry and Ron, asking if they wanted to play Gobstones. Harry said that he had forgotten his Gobstones.  
  
"Actually, I did too," said Justin, airily. Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well, I do know this one game," Ron began, "called Chairs." Both Hermione and Harry looked sharply at him. "But you need a taller ceiling, so..."  
  
Hannah Abbot, who had blonde pigtails, turned around to face them, saying, "There's this charm...it's called the Roof-Raising Charm...it's for making things fit magically into a small space. It's how tents and things work...but I don't know the incantation..." Harry remembered seeing seemingly small tents that were really luxury houses on the inside at the Quidditch World Cup in his fourth year. He also thought of the magical cars that Mr. Weasley had borrowed from the Ministry of Magic.  
  
Hermione pointed her wand at the ceiling. "Expandum interium." The roof rose to the size of a circus-tent, and every prefect turned to look at them. Harry very much doubted that Hermione would have approved of their playing Chairs if she hadn't been able to prove that she could do the Roof- Raising Charm.  
  
"Wow..." said Hannah.  
  
"So here's what you do..." said Ron, and as the other Prefects, listened, he explained how the game would work. Cho Chang thought it was an excellent idea, and she smiled for the first time and began doubling all the chairs. Hermione was very impressed by the doubling, and she quickly picked it up and began doubling the chairs as well. Soon, except for a patch of space in the center, the whole coach was covered with Chairs. One prefect from each house would stack a chair, and the house that caused it to crumble would be out, leaving the others to decide the winner. Then it would start over again. When Padma Patil sent the first tower of Chairs crashing to the floor, it caused such a ruckus that Zacharias Smith rushed into the cabin, wand out and ready to attack any evildoers that may have been there. He was about to begin reprimanding everyone, but seeing that the Head Girl was a part of the game, he thought better of it.  
  
"Dumbledore invented the game," whispered Hermione. After that, Zacharias Smith quickly proved to be a very excellent Chairs player indeed. Ginny re- entered the cabin just as Harry was called from it, leaving Ron and Hermione to update her on the events of the summer.  
  
Harry set out down the train, peeping in windows and feeling rather stupid, when he heard yelling. "Give it back!" The voice was a fellow Gryffindor fifth year, Neville Longbottom. His voice was joined by the protests of two others: Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. "Come off it, Crabbe...give it up!"  
  
Harry rushed into the cabin to put an end to the problem (and hopefully have an excuse to curse Crabbe), but was shocked by what he found that Crabbe had. Goyle was laughing as Crabbe held up a squirming...Harry didn't recognize what it was...over his head. When Goyle took his wand out to poke it, Neville shrieked. "DON'T! DON'T YOU SEE WHAT THAT IS? IT'S A MIMBULUS—ack." Goyle had poked it, as Dean, Seamus, and Neville covered their faces with their robes, and Harry leapt from the cabin. Goyle and Crabbe fled the cabin screaming and covered in Stinksap, as Seamus magically cleaned it up from the cabin.  
  
"Hello, Harry!" said Seamus and Dean.  
  
"How do you like my mimbulus mimbletonia?" asked Neville, quite proudly.  
  
"It's...er...changed..."  
  
"Yep!" said Neville excitedly, for indeed, the mimbulus mimbletonia had now grown large tentacles that sprung from its body, and the tentacles were covered with stinksap pores.  
  
"Well...nice seeing you guys...got to get back to the Prefects' cabin." They wished him goodbye and he stepped out into the hall to hear Pansy Parkinson's shrieks of laughter from the next cabin. Sensing that she was up to no good, Harry walked down the aisle to get to it, and was met by Hermione, coming from the other way.  
  
"Your patrol's over, Harry," she said, "but let's check out what that cow is up to..."  
  
It seems that Pansy had enchanted a girl's books to fly around the room and try to escape from her trunk. The girl looked up, looking slightly exasperated but not upset, and Harry recognized those permanently-surprised eyes as Luna Lovegood's. Harry very badly wanted to hit Pansy, but Hermione muttered the counter-curse and told her to get out or else she would go straight to Professor McGonagall. Pansy made a face (Harry supposed in an attempt to imitate Hermione), but it just made her look more stupid. As she was leaving, Harry made a book hit her in the back of the head. She scowled at them and stormed off.  
  
"Are you all right, Luna?" asked Harry sympathetically.  
  
"Yes. It's fine. None of my books escaped...but where is...where's Emily?"  
  
Hermione gave Harry a confused look.  
  
"Erm...who's Emily?"  
  
"My pet."  
  
Harry swallowed. Any pet of Luna's was likely to be not a pet at all.  
  
"What...sort of pet is it, Luna?"  
  
"It's a..."  
  
But just then, a small animal appeared midair and flew at Harry's face. Harry ducked just in time, and the animal ran right into the door. Harry flinched, but the animal turned around and jumped a rather astonishing height, for its size (about as big as a shoe), all the way into the overhead compartments.  
  
"What is that thing?" asked Hermione curiously. It was a good question. It had the body of a monkey, with a tail, but the head of a Jack Russell terrier, and on it's forehead was a small, forked horn.  
  
"She," said Luna, "is a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."  
  
"I thought you told me that those were the size of trees..." said Hermione suspiciously.  
  
"Emily is just a baby."  
  
The cabin door opened, and Ron entered. "You two have been gone ages..." he began, but he stopped, and looked curiously at Emily the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.  
  
"Erm...hello, Luna," said Ron, looking at Hermione for an explanation, but he got none.  
  
"Eh...Luna," began Hermione, "where did you get that."  
  
But Luna didn't answer. She was gazing at the door behind them, and not blinking at all.  
  
"From within the Unsealed Gateway," she said, in a voice that was not hers at all. The voice was very deep, and quite strong. Ron, Hermione, and Harry stared. Ron started to back toward the door, reaching for his wand, but Hermione kicked him hard.  
  
"From within the Unsealed Gateway, there will come the Prince of Two Bloods...to take back what was taken from him...he must have the Great Survivor...The Prince of Two Bloods will come in the Year the Silver Depart to reclaim what was stolen from him...he must have the Great Survivor..."  
  
Luna stirred. "What was I saying?" she said dottily.  
  
"Good-bye," said Hermione, her eyes wide open and not moving from Luna, "We have to return to the Prefects' Cabin right now. See you later."  
  
The stepped out of the cabin and walked down the aisle a bit. Hermione pulled them in and hissed, "Harry...was that a propechy?"  
  
Harry nodded. It was similar to the experience he had in his third year, when his Divination teacher had prophesized the return of Lord Voldemort.  
  
"Well?" said Hermione anxiously, "What do you make of it?"  
  
"I reckon...that... 'The Prince of Two Bloods' means he's a really important half-blood," said Harry.  
  
"Harry, do you think it means...Voldemort?" she said this very quietly, but Ron still let out a high squeak. Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah...that's what I reckon." Harry's eyes suddenly flashed back to the prophecy he had heard last spring, in Dumbledore's office. It had said either he must kill Voldemort or vice versa, in the end. He swallowed hard. What if the thing that was stolen from him was his invincibility? Did it mean Voldemort was coming to get him?  
  
"But, at any rate, we won't have to worry about it until all of Hogwarts' silver gets stolen."  
  
"Oh, honestly, Ron...weren't you listening? It said, 'the silver depart.' No 's.' The silver isn't a thing...it's a group."  
  
"But...there haven't been any silver people at Hogwarts...while we've been here." Ron was quite puzzled.  
  
"Yes, there have been," said Harry, "and they've already left."  
  
Understanding dawned on Hermione's face. "The Ghosts." 


	10. The Most Severe Warning

Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway  
  
Chapter 10: The Most Severe Warning  
  
The realization that the events prescribed in the prophecy would be happening this year, was very shocking to Harry. He knew he should tell Hermione and Ron about the Prophecy he heard in Dumbledore's office, about how either he or Voldemort had to kill each other in the end. He was quite sure that he himself was the 'Great Survivor' and the Voldemort was 'the Prince of Two Bloods.' He was going to tell Hermione and Ron right now...  
  
"We've got to tell Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione firmly.  
  
"No," said Harry at once. "Dumbledore's already worried enough about this whole loss of the ancient protection thing...if we tell him about this, he'll probably forbid me from going anywhere on campus, like when Sirius escaped."  
  
Ron didn't look convinced, but nodded in agreement.  
  
"Harry...if you're sure...but I think..."  
  
"No."  
  
The arrived at the Prefects' Cabin to find the biggest stack of Chairs they had yet to see.  
  
"One of you go...It's Gryffindor's turn," explained Katie Bell.  
  
"How...do you?" asked Ron.  
  
Hermione rolled up her sleeves, swished and flicked her wand, saying "Cathedrum Leviosa." A red chair flew up to the top and balanced itself on top of a blue one. There was quite a bit of cheering from the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs (who had just been eliminated by the Ravenclaws). The Slytherins were sulking after their loss in the first round.  
  
Several more chairs stacked, until you could no longer see the top of the stack. When Harry's chair landed, the tower swayed threateningly, but remained standing. The Gryffindors all breathed a sigh of relief. For the Hufflepuffs, Ernie Macmillan raised his wand, but never got to finish his turn, because just then, the train came to a screeching halt, causing everyone to fall over, and the tower of chairs to rain down upon them. Mostly everybody found shelter under another chair, but several people were going to be hit, until Cho stood up and screamed, "IMMOBULUS!" causing about forty chairs to hover in the air. The speakers buzzed, and a witch's voice said, noticeably nervous: "Eh...We have encountered a...difficulty...please remain in your cabins. We are currently five minutes from Hogwarts. Thank you."  
  
Zacharias Smith stood up, while a dozen prefects lowered the chairs. "Go to the bus and make sure no one panics."  
  
"What's happening, Zacharias?" asked Ernie Macmillan nervously.  
  
"No idea. Go patrol the aisles."  
  
The prefects set off in small groups, muttering to themselves nervously. Several of them seemed to want to leave the bus and see what the problem was, but none dared. Hermione, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Colin, looked out the window and noticed that there was a downpour of rain. Thunder cracked, and the lights flickered on and off on the Express. Several younger students attempted to run out of the cabins, screaming, but the Prefects contained them. Zacharias Smith paced up and down the aisle. "What is happening? Everyone stay calm! What is happening?" Just then, an icy wind broke out across the bus and the lights went off. The talking immediately ceased. After a few seconds, several people, lighted their wands. Every Prefect's face was dark and grim. Harry had just seen something outside the window...a dark cloud...no. Suddenly he heard screams from a nearby cabin, and he ran into it to find three first years weeping openly, one of them was Marcus Jordan.  
  
"What's wrong? What happened?" Harry asked them.  
  
Marcus was sobbing, but managed to convey what had happened, "N-never--- happy—d-dark th-thoughts...r-robed—bl—ack." All three of them were pointing nervously at their window.  
  
Harry knew at once that they had seen a dementor outside their window. He ran out into the aisle.  
  
"This is a dementor attack!" Harry yelled. Several Prefects gasped loudly. "WELL!?" screamed Harry, "WANDS OUT! REMEMBER TO THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS!"  
  
Harry was very grateful that he had taught the D.A. how to do a Patronus. He wasn't at all sure that they would be able to conjure one in front of a dementor, though. Several of them shut their eyes and tried to think happy thoughts. Still more of them just looked more nervous, and some taught non- D.A. members how to do a Patronus Charm.  
  
"Harry..." whispered Hermione, "did you pack your mirror?"  
  
"Yeah...they're both in my trunk, in the luggage compartment at the back of the train."  
  
Hermione grabbed his arm and they fled toward the luggage department, unnoticed by anyone except Ron, Ginny, and Justin Finch-Fletchley, all three of whom followed them curiously. They opened the luggage compartment, and Hermione unlocked Harry's trunk and rummaged around in it.  
  
"Hermione, what good are both mirrors going to do us..." But Hermione pulled out a mirror, gave it to Harry, and said, "I left one with Borlig before we left."  
  
She looked into the mirror and said, "Borlig!" Seconds later, Justin gasped as Borlig's face appeared in the mirror. Harry realized that, in the strange silver hue of the mirror, a goblin did look quite frightening.  
  
"Borlig."  
  
"Gyes?"  
  
"This is an emergency...alert Professor McGonagall at once that the Hogwarts Express has been attacked by Dementors five minutes away from Hogwarts."  
  
Borlig nodded and disappeared from view.  
  
"Who was that?" asked a dumbstruck Justin.  
  
They realized that they needed to be careful when explaining Borlig to Justin, so as not to reveal to him that they had stayed at Hogwarts over the summer.  
  
"He is...er...a goblin...that Ron knows...and he's at Hogwarts, right now," said Harry.  
  
"I left a mirror with Borlig at Ron's house," added Hermione quickly.  
  
Justin still looked puzzled. "So those...are Dumbledore's guests..." They nodded. "Then...but...don't they eat people?"  
  
"Of course not, that's nonsense," said Hermione.  
  
"He's very nice, actually," said Harry.  
  
"You should see his gharblag," added Ron. Harry and Hermione nudged him in the ribs.  
  
"His...what?"  
  
"It's a jarvey," said Hermione simply. Justin looked impressed.  
  
"A trained jarvey?" asked the incredulous Justin.  
  
"Well, as trained as they come...what are we doing here? This is an emergency!" said Hermione.  
  
They set off back to the train at once. Zacharias Smith updated them, "The driver and snack-car witch disapparated already. We're alone..." He looked hopeless.  
  
"But Hermione contacted Professor McGonagall!" cried Justin.  
  
Harry was nervous. Zacharias Smith was very nosy, and he couldn't see him not questioning them thoroughly.  
  
"Excellent," he said, remarkably humble, "I won't ask you how you did it...but thank you."  
  
More screams erupted from a cabin nearby. Hannah Abbot rushed in to see what happened, but she screamed herself, and the Ravenclaw seventh-years, led by Cho, rushed in and began shooting feeble Patronus into the cabin.  
  
Harry ran over to produce one of his own, but when he got there the Dementor had already left. Cho was sweating and breathing heavily. "It left...good thing you taught me that...she said, before collapsing into Harry's arms. Roger Davies, apparently nearby, came and took her from Harry, and whispered something that must have been very sweet into her ears, because she smiled. Harry noticed the Slytherin prefects were huddled in a corner, rather inactive.  
  
Suddenly, the train was illuminated by great bursts of bright light from outside. Around ten figures were surrounding the bus, shooting out great bursts of light of many colors. It was rather like a fireworks display. Several dementors, presumably dead, fell to ground in a lump of black hooded robes. Harry recognized Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Ogden, Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sinistra, Professor Snape, and Bill Weasley (what was he doing here) among them. Several more dementors fell to the ground. The thunder rolled and the lightning flashed. Madame Pomfrey boarded the train and asked whether everyone was all right as the other Professors boarded the train. Professor Sprout, apparently, used to be an engineer, and would be driving them to Hogwarts.  
  
Professors McGonagall and Ogden passed out chocolate to everyone on the train. Zacharias Smith loudly updated Professor Dumbledore. ("Yes, Headmaster, there was screaming, but I told them, I said, be alert, remember how to do a Patronus. Of course, I recognized it to be a dementor attack at once.") Ron looked as if he was about to say something, but Hermione silenced him with a withering look. McGonagall came over to where they were standing and thanked them quietly for alerting her. Professor Ogden returned from the Prefects' cabin, loudly announcing that, from the looks of it, a fine game of Chairs had been played and he wondered who won.  
  
Professor McGonagall scowled, but Justin Finch-Fletchley excited told him that it had been a draw between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Zacharias looked very nervous until Professor Dumbledore chuckled and muttered something about Gryffindor being the reigning champion in his days.  
  
Professor Snape was standing by the Slytherins, chatting quietly. Professor McGonagall offered to hunt down the driver and snack-cart woman herself and personally feed them to the dementors.  
  
When they arrived at Hogwarts, the Prefects sent the luggage magically into the common rooms, as Zacharias informed Harry that his common room password was "Narghar." The teachers had already left for the school in several of the thestral-drawn carriages. Harry heard the familiar call of "Firs' years this way, follow me!" from Hagrid, and the Prefects took the remaining carriages back to the castle. On the way to the castle, Hermione rode with Ernie Macmillan and Harry, and Ron, Ginny, and Hannah Abbot rode the carriage in front of them. Harry heard Ernie ask who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was, and if he had been on the train. Harry guessed that Hermione was dying to share her low opinion of Professor Ogden with another pronounced scholar, but couldn't, as that would give away their stay at Hogwarts. Instead, she said, "No idea," quite curtly.  
  
The entered the castle, and walked into the Great Hall, all of the Prefects' looking noticeably exhausted. But just as the Prefects set out to join the rest of the students at the four long house tables, they heard Professor Flitwick's tiny voice. "Prefects! Prefects! Follow me!"  
  
They begrudgingly turned around and step outside into the thunderstorm again. Professor Flitwick shouted over the rain, "We have lost a first year boy. He was seen by Madame Pomfrey to get onto the boats...he's on the grounds somewhere! Please comb the grounds and shoot up pink sparks when you've found him. When you see pink, return to the Great Hall for dinner!" And he dashed off onto the grounds.  
  
Everyone searched for about five minutes, when there was a great noise that wasn't thunder. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Ernie, Hannah, Justin, Anthony Goldstein, Padma Patil, Terry Boot, Draco, Pansy, Theodore Nott, and several older Prefects found themselves huddled together, wands out in fear.  
  
"What was that?" yelled Anthony Goldstein, as another thud was head.  
  
"Harry..." whispered Ron, as the gigantic body of Grawp emerged from around the corner of the castle, clutching Marcus Jordan in his left hand. The group erupted into screams. Pansy Parkinson let out a blood-curdling shriek, Ernie Macmillan let out a shriek even more blood-curdling than hers, and Draco Malfoy attemped to hide behind Theodore Nott, who simply blinked.  
  
"WANDS DOWN! HE WON'T HURT US!" screamed Hermione.  
  
"ERNIE, PUT IT AWAY!" shouted Ron at Ernie, who was reluctant to put away his wand.  
  
"HERMY!" shouted Grawp.  
  
"GRAWP! CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US MARCUS?"  
  
"MARKER?" said Grawp, pointing at Marcus with his free hand. Most of the Prefects looked up, paralyzed with fright, the rest staring strangely at Hermione, both impressed and frightened at her ability to talk to a giant.  
  
"YES, GRAWP! PLEASE GIVE US MARKER!"  
  
"OK, HERMY!" And Grawp gently set Marcus down on the ground. Marcus looked absolutely petrified with fear. Grawp then turned around at walked off toward the forest, as Harry and Ron sent a barrage of pink sparks up into the air.  
  
They headed to castle. The prefects who could get the words out asked Hermione what had just happened.  
  
"That," she said, "was Hagrid's little brother."  
  
The stunned Prefects entered the Great Hall and sat down at their tables, sopping wet. It seemed they had missed the sorting ceremony, but they would at least get to see Marcus sorted, because Professor McGonagall was standing behind the Sorting Chair, holding the Sorting Hat, and apparently waiting for Hermione to escort Marcus up to the chair. "Jordan, Marcus."  
  
The frightened looking boy, sat down in the chair to the most attentive Great Hall since Harry Potter had been sorted five years ago. Professor McGonagall situated the Sorting Hat onto his head, and the hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
The Gryffindor table cheered loudly, and Marcus scurried over to a group of first year boys, and began to tell them what was likely the most wild thing every to happen to anyone of them.  
  
The talking immediately ceased as Professor Dumbledore stood up, "Thanks to all of the Prefects for doing a magnificent job given recent events, under the brilliant leadership of Head Boy Zacharias Smith and Head Girl Cho Chang. Zacharias Smith puffed out his chest, much like a bullfrog does, while Cho blushed and looked at the table. Harry noticed the staff table included the normal professors (Flitwick was sopping wet), Professor Ogden, Firenze, and Bill Weasley.  
  
"Please enjoy the magnificent food. The sherbert lemon is a recipe of a dear old friend of mine, whom I will be introducing shortly." Professor Ogden smiled.  
  
Food filled the platters, pumpkin juice filled the goblets, and the students filled their plates. Harry only stopped eating to ask Ron why Bill was seated at the staff table.  
  
"Ir dugno, Arry. Spect he's ere on a wisit," said Ron, mouth full of potatoes.  
  
Harry noticed that Hermione was stubbornly refusing the sherbert lemon, which Harry was thoroughly enjoying. Seamus and Dean were eyeing Neville and his mimbulus mimbletonia suspiciously, and Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil said hello to all of them before resuming to their heated discussion about N.E.W.T. Divination.  
  
They finished their food, considerably less hungry and less wet.  
  
Dumbledore stood up to give his Start-of-Term speech and the hall silenced itself.  
  
"Well, that was an absolutely wonderful feast, and as we let it rest in our stomachs, I have a few announcements to make. But first," he said, "I must tell you that Hogwarts will be hosting some guests this year, here at my invitation. I must insist that they be treated like any of you would like to be treated. And without further ado, here are our guests."  
  
As he said this, around thirty goblin children entered, with their parents, from a doorway to the left and front of the staff table. Dumbledore began to clap, and several teachers and students followed his lead in giving the Goblins a round of applause.  
  
"Now, please, sit at the houses you were sorted into." And the Goblins went and sat at the front end of each of the four tables. The great majority of the goblins were in Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and the remaining ten were equally divided between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Draco Malfoy looked very nervous, seated next to a menacing-looking Goblin.  
  
Borlig sat next to Harry, about mid-table, to the surprise of everyone except Justin, who was quite eager to explain the strange occurrence to his fellow Hufflepuffs.  
  
"Please, do not be embarrassed to extend a hand of friendship to our guests," said Dumbeldore, "Now, then. First years should note that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students. I must greatly emphasize this at the moment, for you will find that the forest is very well guarded from intrusion."  
  
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and ninety-fifth time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be check on the extensive list outside of Mr. Filch's office. The recently banned items include Filibuster Fireworks, and Portable Swamps." Dumbledore, along with several other teachers, grinned at this. Even Snape seemed to find the memory of Professor Umbridge trying to catch rogue fireworks amusing.  
  
"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on September the 30th, outside on the Quidditch pitch. For more details, see Madame Hooch, or your House Captain.  
  
"Care of Magical Creatures lessons, N.E.W.T. level, will take place on the lakeside this year, until otherwise notified."  
  
"How fascinating—aquatic animals!" whispered Hermione excitedly.  
  
"As Professor Flitwick has just informed me, some of you have already met one of our new additions to Hogwarts. For those of you who don't him yet, Grawp is our own Professor Hagrid's half-brother, and will be living on the grounds with us. He can be identified by his unusual height of seventeen feet, nine inches."  
  
Several first years exchanged puzzled looks. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan looked surprised, and turned to Harry for an explanation of some sort.  
  
"He's...erm...a nice fellow," said Harry, at loss for words.  
  
Dumbledore continued. "Also, let it be known that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds again this year, for anyone who does not wish to die an agonizing, painful death.  
  
"Taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, after last year's teacher...er...chose not to come back..." There was laughter and applause at this, and Dumbledore continued, "will be Professor Tiberius Ogden, a dear friend of mine and the inventor of sherbert lemon and Ogden's Old-Fashioned Firewhiskey."  
  
There was a tumultuous applause, and Harry was sure that quite a few people liked either the sherbert lemon, the firewhiskey, or both. Hermione scowled, clapping her hands together twice and rather unenthusiastically.  
  
"Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, has decided to retire after two hundred and thirty years of servitude. We are very grateful."  
  
"Of course!" hissed Hermione. Harry didn't bother to ask her what was wrong. Professor Binns had made the History of Magic a very painfully boring class indeed.  
  
"He will be replaced," said Dumbledore, "by Hogwarts graduate Bill Weasley!" Bill stood up and gave a wave. Several girl made high-pitched squeals, before the clapping erupted again. Hermione let out a squeal of her own, and when Harry gave her a questioning look, she blushed and continued clapping. Ron looked at Ginny.  
  
"Did you know about this?"  
  
"No! Did you?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"The last order of business," said Dumbledore, "is not a happy one, unfortunately. Since its foundation, Hogwarts has had many powerful magical protections from muggle intrusions, as well as protections from Dark Magic. None of these spells may be broken by Dark Magic, and any use of good Magic knows not to break them.  
  
"Now, a very important protection of Hogwarts was destined to be gone this year. There are many, and I think it is best if I do not say which.  
  
"I must stress to each and everyone of you the seriousness of this vulnerability. Each of you has the duty to inform a member of the faculty if you notice anything strange at school.  
  
"I wish to impart the most severe warning possible: any student who wanders the castle freely after hours is at risk of serious injury and even death. You have been warned."  
  
The Hall was silent. Students looked back and forth from each other, nervously.  
  
"And now it is time for sleep. You will find your class schedules on your beds!"  
  
There was a great clattering of plates and shuffling of feet. Ginny and Colin showed the first years to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Well, that's something to think about," said Ron.  
  
"Gvery gbad," agreed Borlig.  
  
Once they went into their dormitories, they introduced Dean and Seamus to Borlig, and then to Gharblag, who deeply impressed Dean and Seamus as he called Pansy Parkinson's picture a gorilla with pigtails.  
  
Harry looked at his schedule for the next morning:  
N.E.W.T. Transfiguration (Double)  
N.E.W.T. Potions (Double)  
N.E.W.T. Charms  
  
He sighed. Potions was going to be a horrible experience. Both he and Snape had been hoping never to see each other again. And as Harry went to sleep, he pondered the events of the day, which were quite something. 


End file.
